


F 



(0X''''Ci'»'w'OXi!iX'.'Xi.(i!(O' 




+ 



(SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.) 



Chap. 
Shelf 






UNITED STATE S OF AME RICA. 



MASTKR OF ARTS, COLUMBIA COLLEGE, OF NEW YORK. 1872. 

ROSE HILL, in the TOWNSHIP of RED HOOK, near TIVOLI P. 0., DUCHESS CO., N. Y. 

May, 1883. 

JUDGE ADVOCATE, with the rank of MAJOR, 1845, 

COLONEL N. Y. S. I., 1S16 ; assigneij (or "Meritorious Conduct," 1849; 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL for •■Important Service" [lirst appointment— in N. Y. State— to thai rank, hitherto 

elective] ls,il, M. K. S. N. Y. 

ADJUTANTGE.NERAL. S. N. Y., 1855. 

BREVET MAJOR GENERAL. S. N. Y.,for -Meritorious Servicta," 

[first and only General officer receiving such au honor (the highest) from S. N. Y., and the only officer thus 

brevetted (Major-General) in the Uiute<l States.) 

by "Special Act" or "Concurrent Resolution," Sew York State Legislature, April, 1866. 



+- 



LAWS OF NEW YORK, Vol. 2.— S9th Session, 1866. Page 2142. 
Concurrent Betolution re<juesling the Governor to Confer upon Briyadier.General J. WATTS DE PUYSTER 
[de Peyster] the brevet rank of Major* [General] in the .Watinnal Guard of Xeiv York. 
Resolved, (if the State concur.) That it being a grateful duty to acknowledge in a suitable manner the services 
of a distinguished citizen of this State, rendered to the National Guard and to the United Slates prior to and dur- 
ing the Rebellion, the Governor be and he is hereby authorized and requested to confer upon Brigadier-Genera) 
J. WATTS DE PUYSTER [de Peyster] the hrevet rank of Major-General in the National Guard of New York, for 
meritorious services, which mark of honor shall be stated in the Commission conferred. 

STATE OF NEW YORK, in Assembly. April 9th, 1866. ' 
The foregoing Resolution was dulv passed. Sy order of the Assembly, 

J. 15. CUSHMAN Clerk. 
STATE OF NEW YORK, in Senate. April 20th, 1S6«. 
The foregoing Resolution was duly passed. Ry order of the Senate, 
*So in original. JAS. TERWILLIGER, Clerk. 

MILITARY AGENT, S. N. Y., (in Europe,) 1851-3. 
HONORARY MEMBER, THIRD CLASS, of the MILITARY ORDER of the LOYAL LEGION of the U. S. 

FIRST HONORARY .MEMBER Third (Arniv of the Potomac) Corps Union. 

HONORARY MEMBKR „( the CLARENDON HISTORICAL SOCIETY of Edinburgh, Scotland, and of the 

NEW BRUNSWICK (Canada) HISTORICAL SOCIETY (of St. John). 

MEMBER— 10th June, 1^72, DIUECTOK— of the GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. 

and VICE PRESIDENT of the SARATOGA [BattleflekiJ MONUMENT ASSOCIATION. 

MEMliKU of the NKTHERLANDISH LITERARY ASSOCIATION 

lMuu(sch>ij>pij der Xederlandsche Letterkuiide] at Levden, Holland. 

RECIPIENT, 1856, of Three SiUir Medals from H. R. M. OSCA R, King of Sweden and Norwav. &c.. for a Jlilltarv 

Biography of LEONARD TORSTENSON, Field Marshal. Generalissimo; of a Gold Medal in 

1852, from WASHINGTON HUNT, (Governor S. N. Y.,] for "Efforts to Improve 

the Military System of New York," &c., &c., and Suggestions for a 

Paid Fire Department with Steam Fire Engines, &c.. kc: 

otaGold Medal, only similar distinction ever ordered and directed, and conferred bv the supreme milifciry au. 

thority of the State of New York, by a Special Order, dated 8th September, 1851, of WASHINGTON 

HUNT, Governor and Commander in Chief of the Military Forces (S. N. Y, ), authorized 

to be worn in attest of "Zeal, Devotion and Meritorious Service," 

of a Gold Medal, in 1852, from the FIELD and STAFF OFFICERS of his Command, 9th Brig., 3d Div , N. Y. S. 

Troops, " In testimony of their Esteem and Appreciation of his Eflbrts towanls 

the Establishment of an efhcient Militia," &c. 

in 1870, of a Magnificent Badge, Medal and Clasps voted at the Annual Meeting of the Third Corps (Army of the 

Potomac) Union held at Boston Mass., Thursday, May 5th. 1870. when 
A Resolution was adopteil to present a Gold Medal, of the value of $.500, to Gen. J WATTS de PKYSTER, of 
New York, as a testimonial of the appreciation by the Corps of his cjnitieiit services in {ilacing upon record 
the true history of its achievements, and in defending its commanders and their men from written abuse and 
misrepresentation :" 
and of several other Badges, Medals, &c., for services in connection with the military service of the State of 

New York. 
HONORARY MEMBER of the NEW JERSEY and of the MIN.SESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETIES, and of the 
PHRENOKOSMIAN SOCIETY of PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE, Gettysburt, ; of the PHILOSOPHIAN 
SOCIETY. Missionary Institute. Sclin's Grove, and of the EUTERPKAN SOCIETY, 
Muhlenberg College. Mlentown, Pennsylvania, and of the GASMAN LITER- 
ARY SOCIETY, of Nebraska College, Nebraska City. 
HONORARY MEMBER of the LYCEUM SOCIETY, in Cazenovia. Madison Co , K. Y,: and HONORARY MEM 
BER FOR LIFE of the AMERICAN RIFLE ASSOCIATION, to whom Gen. DE PKYSTER 
presented the most original, exquisite and unique Gold Badge and Clasp, to be 
shot for at the Annual Tests of Markman.ship. 
HONORARY MEMBER of the N. Y. BURNS CLUB. 
(BURNS was a member of the IJumfries Volunteers, of which Col. ARENT SCHUYLER de PEYSTKR, Sth or 
King's Foot. B. A., was Colonel, to whom the " National Bard of Scotland " addressed 
just before his death, in 1796. his " POEM ON LIFE,") and 
LIFE MEMBER of the ST. NICHOLAS SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, 
(of which city JOHANNES or PEYSTER, first of the name in the A'cw World, was Schejien, 1655, Aldennan, 1666, 
Burgomaster, 1673, Deputy Mayor, 1677. Mayoralty offeredand refused). 
MEMBER 
of the NEW YORK, of the RHODE ISLAND (Newport) and of the PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL 
SOCIETIES and of the MILITARY ASSOCIATION of the STATE of NEW YORK, 
and of the CENTURY CLUB, New York Citv. 
LIFE MEMBKR 
of the HISTORICAL SOCIETY ..I M ICIIIGAN, of the NEW YORK GALLERY OF FINE ARTS, of the ALUMNI 
ASSOCIATION OK ('(ll.r.MlilA <:()L1,EUK, in the Cin ..I New York, and Director of the N. Y. 
INSTITUTION for tli.' INSTRUCTION ol the' DE.M' iind DUMB, an.l of the 
AMERICAN NUMISMATIC mid ARC1I.KI)H)G1CAI. SOCIETY 
of NEW YORK. 
LIFE MEMBER or FELLOW of the AMERICAN GEtKJRAl'HK^AL .SOCIETY: of the ROYAL HISTORICAL 
SOi;iETY OF GREAT BRITAIN; of the NUMISMATIC AND ARCHAOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
of Nem York ; PATRON of the ASSoi lATION tor the BENEFIT of COLORED 
ORPHANS, and of the NEW YOKE DISPENSARY; LIFE DI- 
RECTOR of the AMERK AN 1 UACT and LIFE 
MEMBER ol the AMERICAN ItlflLE SOCIETY. N. Y. 
CORRESl'()Nl)IN(; MEMBER 
of the STATE HISTORICAL ROCIKTIES of MAINE, of VKftMONT. of RHODE ISLAND, (Providence,) of 
CONNECTICUT, and of M'ISCONSIN ; <.r the I.ONti ISLAND, of the BUFFALO, ami of ONEIDA 
COUNTY IS. N. Y.J HLSTORICAL SOCIETIES ; ol the NEW ENGLAND IIISTORIO- 
QKNKAIX)OICAL SOCIETY ; of the QUEBEC LITERARY and HISTORI- 
CAL SOCIETY ; of the NUMISMATIC and ANTIQUARIAN 
SOCIETY of PHILADELPHIA, Peuusylvaula ; 
etc., irtc., etc. 



mn mtttivf»» 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



New-York Historical Society, 



ON ITS SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY, 



Tuesday November 22, 1864. 



FREDERIC DE PEYSTER, 

president of the society. 




NEW-YORK: 
PUBLISHED FOR THE SOCIETY. 

mdccclxv. 



mw mit^rtn» 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



New-Vork Historical Society, 



ON ITS SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY, 



Tuesday November 22, 1864. 



BY 

/ 

FREDERIC DE PEYSTER, 



president of the society. 




SSfi 



".< 






NEW-YORK: 
PUBLISHED FOR THE SOCIETY. 

mdccclxv. 






At a fpecial meeting of the New York Hiftorical Society, held in 
its Hall, on Tuefday Evening, November 22d, 1864, to celebrate the 
Sixtieth Anniverfary of the founding oi the Society. 

" The Prefident of the Society, Frederic de Peyster, delivered the 
Addrefs. 

" On its conclufion, Erastus C. Benedict, with fome remarks, fub- 
mitted the following refolution : 

" Refolvedi That the thanks of the Society be prefented to its Prefi- 
dent, Frederic de Peyster, Efq., for his highly interelHng and valuable 
addrefs, delivered before the Society this evening, and that a copy be 
requeued for pubUcation. 

" The refolution was seconded by the Rev. John McVickar, D. D. 

and George Bancroft, LL. D., with remarks by each, and adopted 

unanimoufly." 

Extradl from the Minutes, 

ANDREW WARNER, 

Recording Secretary. 



JOHN F. TROVr, 
PRINTER, STEREOTYPER, AND ELECTROTYPER, 

50 Greene Street, New York. 



OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY 

ELECTED JANUARY, 1 865. 



President, 
FREDERIC DE PEYSTER. 

First Vire-Presicknf, 
THOMAS DE WITT, D.D. 

Second Vice-President, 
BENJAMIN ROBERT WINTHROP. 

Foreign Corresponding Secretary, 
GEORGE BANCROFT, LL.D. 

Domestic Corresponding Secretary, 
JOHN ROMEYN BRODHEAD, LL.D. 

Recording Secretary, 
ANDREW WARNER. 

Treasurer, 
BENJAMIN H. FIELD. 

Lihraruin, 
GEORGE HENRY MOORE. 



EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 



AUGUSTUS SCHELL. WILLIAM CHAUNCEY. 

ERASTUS C. BENEDICT. CHARLES P. KIRKLAND. 
BENJAMIN W. BONNEY. GEORGE FOLSOM. 
SAMUEL OSGOOD, D. D. ROBERT L. STUART. 

JOHN WILLIAM DRAPER, LL. D. 




ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 




E are afiembled, Fellow-members, this 
evening, to celebrate the Sixtieth Anni- 
verfary of The New York Historical 
Society. What memorable events mark 
the intervening threefcore years in the Natural, Civil, 
Literary, and Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of our State and 
Country ! 

The preceding half century witneffed the fuccefs 
ot the meafures to which the love of Liberty earlier 
gave birth, in the achievement of our National Inde- 
pendence ; and that which fecured to the American 
Republic its bleffings and fubftantial good, the Con- 
ftitution, the fundamental law of the land. 

Among the founders of this Society were fome 
of the illuftrious men who took an adive part in 
the great drama, the clofing fcenes of which threw 



2 1'he Early Political 

their radiant beams upon the dawn of the prefent 
century. To gather up, before they were irrecover- 
ably loft, the memorials of the recent paft, and pre- 
ferve them, as the materials of hiftory both of our 
State and Nation, originated the plan firft difcuffed 
for the formation of this Inftitution on the twentieth 
of November, 1 804, and finally adopted by the per- 
manent organization, which took place on the four- 
teenth of January, 1805. 

It is with a view to carry out this idea of the 
Founders of this Society, that I have feleded the 
fubjed: upon which I am to addrefs you this even- 
ing. It is a chapter from the Civil Hiftory of New 
York in its Colonial condition, as well as under its 
State organization. It was my original intention to 
have treated alfo the other departments embraced in 
the defign of this aftbciation ; and I had accordingly 
prepared papers upon the Natural, Literary, and 
Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of our State and Country. 
But time will not permit their ufe this evening; and 
I ftiall referve them for fome future occafion. 

After a brief allufion to my predeceflbrs in office, 
and particularly to the venerated man whom I have 
the honor to fucceed in the Prefidency of this So- 
ciety, I ftiall pafs at once to the confideration of the 
fubjedl to which I wifti at this time to aik your 
attention. 

During the paft fixty years, ten Prefidents have 
preceded me. Many of the members prefent may not 
be familiar with their names : I therefore repeat them. 
Egbert Benson, Gouverneur Morris, De Witt 
Clinton, David Hosack, James Kent, Morgan 



Hijlory of New Tork. 3 

Lewis, Peter G. Stuyvesant, Peter Augustus 
Jay, Albert Gallatin, and Luther Bradish. 

The greater number of thefe were illuftrious for 
their virtues and intelledual labors ; and their names 
are among the treafured memories of the Nation. 
All were prominent members of this Society, alike 
diftinguifhed for their individual v/orth and devotion 
to the public good. Had time permitted, I fhould 
have prefented a brief fketch of each ; for to nine of 
thefe eminent men I was perfonally known, and had 
opportunities of gathering many cherifhed recollec- 
tions of their public and private life. With a ma- 
jority of the Founders of the Society, and its earlieft 
members, I was alfo perfonally acquainted ; and on 
looking over the names of the former, as recorded 
on our minutes, I find that not one of thefe fur- 
vives. Thus I ftand, as it were, a connecting link 
between thefe departed and the living members of 
this Society. 

In my early youth I accompanied Mr. Bradish, 
at his invitation, on an excurfion to Quebec ; on our 
way paffmg through the counties of Franklin and St. 
Lawrence, to vifit lands which he owned in both 
counties. We reached Plattfburgh on Lake Cham- 
plain by eafy ftages, and from thence journeyed to 
Ogdenfburgh on the river St. Lawrence, on horfe- 
back, through almoft an entire wildernefs. 

At that time this was the only practicable mode 
of accomplifhing the journey. For weeks we flept 
together, during the frofty nights of September, look- 
ing through the chinks of the logs upon the ftars 
brightly fhining over us. From Waddington, a little 



4 '^he Early Political 

below Ogdenfburgh, we defcended the St. Lawrence 
in what was then known as a ''''Durham boat^^ with- 
out a cabin or covering to fhield us from the weather. 
We refted at night on the Canadian fhore, in fuch 
quarters as could be made moft available to pro- 
tect us from the feverity of the climate. The jour- 
ney by land was one of peculiar hardfhip to Mr. 
Bradish, from the circumstance of his being at that 
time but an indifferent horfeman. Beautiful as were 
the fhores of this pidurefque river, and exciting as 
were the fcenes we encountered in palTing its numer- 
ous rapids and in plunging through its foaming caf- 
cades, still the defcent at that feafon fubjeded us to 
the violent blafts and changes of weather, againft 
which there was no sufficient mode of protedlion on 
our voyage to Montreal. 

I allude to the circumftances of this journey in 
order to bear witnefs to his uniform urbanity of 
manner and the kindlinefs of his difpofition, which 
were part of his very nature. The moft annoying 
circumftances neither affedled the one nor difturbed 
the other. The benevolence of his heart, his good 
fenfe and found judgment, never failed to have their 
full influence upon all thofe with whom he came in 
contact, and to mitigate or remove all oppofing 
difficulties. 

In the courfe of the following fummer, I accom- 
panied him in an excurfion through the States of 
Pennfylvania and New Jerfey, with fimilar refults 
and an increafed admiration of his focial and intel- 
le(5lual qualities. On one occafion we were in imme- 
diate peril of our lives ; but Mr. Bradish did not 



Hijlory of New Tork. 5 

lofe his felf-poffeflion, and by his prudent caution 
facilitated our efcape. There were many occafions 
which would have excufed a difplay of contrary quali- 
ties ; but he feemed ever to aft the part of a Chrif- 
tian gentleman. It affords me peculiar fatisfadion to 
bear this teftimony to the character of one whom, on 
a former occafion, I ftated was like Cato, as defcribed 
by Sallust, who chofe rather to be, than to feem, 
good — " ejfe, quam videri^ bonus malebaty 

So full was the teftimony borne to his character 
as a Scholar, Statefman, Legiilator, and Judge, and 
of his conftftent Chriftian walk during his long and 
ufeful life, on the occafion of the commemorative 
proceedings in this hall confequent upon his deceafe, 
that I proceed at once to mention a few additional 
circumftances, illuftrative of the clofing events of 
his life, which came under my obfervation, or which 
were communicated to me by perfons converfant with 
them. 

A few months before his death, he overtook a 
mutual friend on her way to Grace Church (of which 
they were both members), and on her alluding to his 
punftual attendance, he replied : " I wifh to avail 
" myfelf of the opportunity of hearing ' The Decla- 
" ration ' pronounced to the truly repentant and be- 
"lieving, of the remiffion of fins in the Saviour's 
" name. All of us may receive benefit from its repe- 
"tition." 1 

Before Mr. Bradish left the city for his ufual 
fummer fojourn in the country, in the fpring of 1863, 

' Book of Common Prayer, Morning and Evening Service. 



6 The Early Political 

I met him occafionally about the hour of evening 
prayer, coming from or going to Trinity Church. 
His countenance at fuch times was much more grave 
than ufual, and he took no notice of the paffing 
crowd, as was his cuftom, in order to return a friendly 
falutation. For fome time previous I had noticed 
fymptoms of his failing health, and felt fully per- 
fuaded that he was confcious of his decreafing hold 
on life. 

In my boyhood, I had noticed in the church- 
yard of that venerable Church a monumental flab, 
near the tomb of Alexander Hamilton, on which 
are engraved only thefe tenderly expreffive words, 
" My Mother," and underneath thefe two words, 
" The trumpet JJiall Joiind^ and the dead JJiall arife." 
What availed to the forrowing heart of the afflidled 
mourner (whofe filial piety had raifed this impreffive 
monument), family didindlion, worldly renown, or 
focial pofition ? Without a doubt as to the refurrec- 
tion of the dead at the laft trump, faith in Him 
in whom fhe did believe, made this aflurance certain, 
that the beloved being whofe remains lay there en- 
tombed, would then arije to life immortal, " an angel 
in heaven." 

The firm faith which the feledion of this text 
exhibited, was by some unaccountable alTociation in 
my mind conne6ted with my lamented friend, on the 
occafions to which I have juft referred. I felt 
affured that the final fummons would find him 
"watching." Before leaving the city for his accuf- 
tomed abode in the country, he called to fee me 
at my houfe, and fpoke with deep intereft of the 



Hijiory of New Tork. 7 

propofed " Hiftorical Mufeum " in the Central 
Park, in the completion of which he took the deep- 
eft intereft ; and he propofed to unite with me, on his 
return, in the profecution of every practicable mea- 
fure to infure its fuccefs. This was our laft interview ! 
It was with a faddened heart I heard of his death. 
It was the rending of the chain which had for fo 
many years united me to him, in the bond of friend- 
fhip and in kindred purfuits. As his life was faft 
ebbing away, this faithful foldier of the Crofs, ready 
to depart, faid to a fympathizing friend befide him, 
'' Allis well" and foon after clofed his eyes in death. 

"To others Death feems dark and grim, 

But not, Thou Life of life, to me ; 
I know Thou ne'er forfakeft him 

Whofe heart and fpirit reft in Thee. 
Oh! who would fear his journey's clofe, 
If from dark woods and lurking foes, 

He then find fafety and releafe ? 
Nay, rather with a joyful heart 
From this dark region I depart, 

To Thy eternal light and peace." * 

— Thus, all was well ! ^ 



1 "Lyra Germanica," Defzler, 1692. 

« Luther Bradish, LL.D., died at Newport, R. I., on Sunday, 
Auguft 30, 1863, in the eightieth year of his age. He became a mem- 
ber of the Society in 1817, and was chofen to be one of its Vice-Prefi- 
dents in 1845. Upon the deceafe of Albert Gallatin, in 1849, Mr. 
Bradish was elefted, in January, 1850, Prefident of the Society; and 
was annually re-elefted to the fame office, the duties of which he^ con- 
tinued to difcharge with diftlnguiftied ability until his death. His re- 
mains lie buried in Greenwood Cemetery. 



8 The Early Political 

I now proceed to the confideration of the princi- 
pal fubjed of this Addrefs — the Early Political Hif- 
tory of New York, which is a branch of the Civil 
Hiftory of our Country and State ; one of the promi- 
nent objeds entrufted to the foftering care of the So- 
ciety. It requires no argument to enforce its impor- 
tance. The materials relative to this fubjed have 
been diligently collected and faithfully preferved in 
our library ; and the attention of every inquirer on 
the fubjed; has been invited to examine the treafures 
which have been here gathered, while every facility 
is afforded to enable him to derive benefit from their 
contents. 

The labors of the Society in this department of 
knowledge have been eminently ufeful ; and they are 
known throughout the State and the Union to every 
one who has taken an interefl in the hillory of his 
country. 

Without attempting even to allude to thofe in- 
fiances which have attraded mofl attention, I may 
be permitted to refer to the earneft efforts of the 
Society, and to their influence, in fecuring the favor- 
able action of the Legiflature, when that body au- 
thorized the examination of the archives of France, 
Holland, and Great Britain, and the colledion there- 
from of materials concerning the Hiftory of Colonial 
New York. And when an Agent was required, through 
whofe judicious and intelligent efforts the design of 
the Legiflature fhould be carried out, or an Editor 
under whofe careful fupervifion and fcholarly illuf- 
tration thofe papers fhould be publifhed to the 
world, two of our number — John Romeyn Brod- 



Hijlory of New Tork. 9 

HEAD, Do6lor of Laws, and E. B. O'Callaghan, 
also Dodlor of Laws — were feledted for the purpofe. 
How faithfully they have difcharged their refpedlive 
duties, and how much every hiftorical ftudent is in- 
debted to their arduous and well-dire6led labors, I 
need not mention in your prefence. 

The Society has alfo been the inftrument for 
preferving and reftoring to the State Government, 
on more than one occafion, important portions of 
its long-lofl records. The Journals of the General 
Aflembly of the Province from 1766 until 1776, and 
that of the AiTembly of the State for the firft meet- 
ing of the Fourth Seffion, both of which were print- 
ed from copies which were found only in the Library 
of the Society, are notable examples of its ufeful- 
nefs in perfecting the archives of the State. 

I may alfo allude, in this conne<5lion, to the great 
fuccefs which has attended the labors of the Librarian 
of the Society, Mr. Moore, in his patient and long- 
continued fearch for others of the Journals and 
Statutes of the Colonial AiTembly, fome of which 
had been miffing more than a century — a fuccefs of 
which the importance to every careful ftudent of 
American Hiftory will be appreciated only when its 
extent and character ftiall have become more fully 
known. 

In this hafty retrofpedl of a fmall portion of the 
Society's labors in this department, I may alfo juftly 
and fatisfaftorily allude to the individual efforts of 
its members in the great caufe of hiftoric literature. 
Without difparaging the efforts of the members gen- 
erally, in their untiring efforts and their generous 



lO 'The Early Political 

liberality to promote that caufe, and to fecure for this 
City and this State the juft degree of honor which 
properly belongs to each, the individual labors of our 
afTociates, Moulton, O'Callaghan, Shea, Wat- 
son, Paulding, Valentine, Davis, De Voe, Los- 
siNG, FoLsoM, Francis, George H. and Frank 
Moore, Irving, Verplanck, Brodhead, and Ban- 
croft, may be referred to with honeft pride; while 
the earneft and fucceflTul defence of the peculiar 
claims of New York, and of her well-merited title 
to the honor of having led her filler States in the 
great ftruggle for " the rights of mankind," which 
has been made, fucceffively, in your meetings, by 
Rev. Doctor De Witt, by Charles Fenno Hoff- 
man, and by Henry B. Dawson, is frefh in the 
memory of all who have taken an intereft in the pro- 
ceedings of our Society. 

The Political Hiftory of New York, as I have 
faid, is peculiarly important. You well know that 
this State has been the fcene of the moft violent and 
uncompromiiing party ftrife, from the day of its 
feizure by the Englifli, in 1664, until the prefent 
hour ; and in no portion of our country have the 
politics of the day alTumed greater importance in the 
hiftory of our times. 

In the earlier days of the Colony the ftruggle was 
one of antagoniftic races ; later it became a conteft 
for political power between leading rival families ; 
and later ftill it was a war of principles, in which the 
unfranchifed, unreprefented, and unhonored mafles 
of the Colonifts, led by a few able and daring " Sons 
of Liberty," contended with the Sovereign and with 



liifiory of New York. 



II 



his Minifters and with thofe who fympathized with 
them, for their birthrights as Englifhmen and for 
their political manhood. Thefe were followed by the 
organized ftruggles of the more modern political par- 
ties, each feeking the maftery ; and Republicans^ and 
Federalifts,' Clintonians and Bucktails, Whigs and 
Democrats, and thefe, alfo, " native here and to the 
manor born," Barnburners and Hunkers, Silver- 
Greys and Woolly-Heads, Loco-Focos, Hard-Shells 



' It is an InterelHng faft, now little known, that the Democratic party, 
in its earlier days, was thus defignated ; and that The Tammany Society, 
for many years paft fo influential in the politics of the State and Union, 
officially recognized that title as the name of its party. 

Thus, in 1809, when that body determined to ereft a hall for its ac- 
commodation—the " Tammany Hall " of to-day— it pafTed a " Law," fo 
called, for the " Building of a Wigwam," of which the following is the 
Preamble : 

" Whereas^ feveral members of the Tammany Society, or Columbian 
" Order, have voluntarily offered to fubfcrlbe moneys for the purclmfe of 
" ground and the ereftion of a Wigwam for the ufe of the Inftitutlon and 
"the general accommodation of Republicans;^ hz.— The Croakers [Brad- 
ford Club Edition), 155. 

- The great political parties in the State of New York arofe from the 
conflifting fentiments concerning the extent of power which was necedary 
to enable the Congrefs of the United States to difcharge the duties to 
which it was appointed; but they did not aifume diftinft organizations 
until the propofed Conftitution for the United States was prefented to the 
State for its approval and ratification. 

The opponents of the Conftitution called themfelves Federalifts ; but 
the friends of the meafure claiming alfo to be Federalifts, the former, in 
contradiftinftion, became known as Ante-Federalip—^ name which foon 
gave way to that of Republicans ; by which the opponents of a centrali- 
zation of power in the Federal authorities were known for many years. 

After feveral changes, both in name and organization, the Federalifts 
gave way to the modern Whigs 5 while the Republicans, with the prefix of 
Democratic— ^\\\q\^ was probably alfumed to diftinguifli them from the 
National Republicans, one of the offshoots of the Federalifts— contmue, 
vmh various modifications In its platform, the oppofition party of to-day. 



12 The Early Political 

and Soft-Shells, have fucceffively appeared and van- 
ifhed, while the War and Peace Democrats and the 
Union-men and Republicans of to-day, in their turn, 
are actively performing their respective parts in the 
great drama ; affording to those who fliall follow us, 
either an empty name — ^'^ genus et nomen inutile" — or 
found lefTons of political wifdom and frefh fubjeds 
for the pen and the pencil. 

During the firft of thefe periods, from the very 
nature of things, the Englifh and thofe who came 
with them into the Colony were confidered intruders 
and enemies by the Dutch, and by the great number 
of thofe who were within the Colony at the time of 
the furrender. 

The firft of thefe parties was a conqueror, flufhed 
with a bloodlefs vidlory ; haughty and overbearing 
in his intercourfe with the Colonifts, and extremely 
impatient of the leaft oppofition ; the laft were a 
conquered people, chafing under the political and 
commercial difabilities which had been unjuftly and 
illegally impofed upon them, and watchful of every 
opportunity to oppofe the ruling party. The one 
was the Government , claiming and exercifing every 
political power, and, as the reprefentative of the 
Sovereign, difregarding every pretenfion of the in- 
habitants to any political rights whatever ; the other 
was the Governed^ claiming, in vain, all the rights of 
manhood and all the focial, political, and commercial 
privileges which had been guaranteed by the ruling 
party, in the ^^ Articles of Surrender.'' 

Deprived of the greater number of the rights and 
privileges which they had enjoyed before the furren- 



Hijlory of New Tork. 13 

der of the Colony to the Englifli;^ denied the en- 
joyment of any of the rights of Englifhmen,^ of 
which they had heard fo much; and with the fole 
right of Government vefted, without control, in their 
opponents;^ the mafs of the Dutch and their fup- 
porters were compelled either to fubmit to their 
focial, commercial, and political degradation in filence, 
or to reftji the power which opprefTed them. The 
former of thefe they could not do ; and they imme- 
diately united in a refpedful but refolute oppofition 

1 Liberty of confcience was '' allo-wed"" to a limited extent only. 
[Conditions for Nei-v Planters in the Territories of H. R. H. the Duke of 
York.) Their commerce was confined to England, contrary to the lixth 
Article of Capitulation, which guaranteed free commerce with Holland. 
[Orders in Council, No--vember i8, i66S.) Many other inftances occur, in 
which the inhabitants of the Colony were deprived of their political rights 
by their conqueror. 

2 Principal among thefe rights was that of reprefentation before the 
impofition of taxes ; yet taxes were levied in New York by warrants iffued 
annually by the Governor and his Council on affeffments which had been 
made by the conftables and overfeers of the feveral towns, all of whom 
were refponsible only to the Governor who appointed them, and not, m 
the remoteft degree, to the Colonilts among whom they exercifed au- 
thority. [Duke's Lavjs, title, " Public Charges r) The right to levy im- 
pofts, also, was exercifed under fpecial orders from the Duke, without 
reference to the Colonifts. [Reply to Peticons of num^^ of yr Mat'^s Cuf- 
toms; Inflruccons for Edmo Andros, Efq., my U Go'vernr of Long IJland, 

&c., July I, 1674; Duke of Tork to Go-vernor Andros, January 28, 1676 ; 

The fame to the fame, May 7, 1677, &c.) 

^ The Code of Laws by which the Colony was governed was " eltab- 
lifhed by the authority of His Majefty's Letters Patent, granted by His 
Royal Highnefs James, Duke of York and Albany," and publi(hed "by 
virtue of a Commiffion " from that Prince, without the recognition on his 
part of any rights of legiflation either in the Colonifts or any other body 
whatever [Duke's Lanvs, Title) ; while even the local authority of the 
"Court of Affizes" extended only to the privilege of recommending mea- 
fures to the Duke for his enaatnent, " without whose approbation they 
acquired but little authority." [Chalmers, 574.) 



14 T'he Early Political 

to the Governor, in his earlieft attempt to fecure 
their allegiance, without recognizing their guaranteed 
rights ; and as fteadily and refolutely they continued 
their oppofition, and refufed to acknowledge their 
allegiance to their conqueror, until they had com- 
pelled him to honor the Articles of Surrender, and 
to recognize and fecure to them, as thofe Articles had 
recognized and fecured, the more important of their 
focial and political privileges/ 

Stuyvesant and Van Cortlandt, and De Pey- 
STER and Steenwyck, and their affociates, in their 
early and protracted resiftance to arbitrary power in 
the Colony — a resiftance which was carried beyond 
the limits of the Colony and forced itfelf into notice 
within the immediate habitations of Royalty itfelf — 
are entitled to the higheft refpe6l of every friend of 
republican principles of government ; and the So- 
ciety will not fail to recognize in thefe the names of 
the earlieft and moft refolute opponents of the Crown 
in New York. 

In the fecond era of her Political Hiftory, New 
York prefented a fpectacle which is not lefs intereft- 
ing than that to which I have already referred. 

The two races, Dutch and Englifh, by intermar- 
riages and the lapfe of time, having gradually loft 
their diftind:ive features and their early antagonifm, 
the former, during the fecond era in the Political 
Hiftory of New York, was chiefly known, as a clafs. 



' Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, Fri- 
day, Oftober 15, Tuefday, Oftober 19, and Wednefday, Oftober 20, 
1664, cited at length in Dawson's Sons of Liberty, Sec, 14-16. 



Hijlory of New Tork, 15 

by its fteady fympathy with the mafles ; and it con- 
fequently became, in many inftances, the nucleus 
around which were concentrated the unorganized and 
fcattered elements of oppofition to the Government, 
when the Sovereign, his Miniftry, or the local Pro- 
vincial authorities, ventured to infringe more boldly 
than ufual on the fundamental political rights of the 
Colonifts. 

As inftances of this fympathy with the popular 
caufe, which was ihown by the great body of the 
Dutch in New York, and of the fteadinefs with which 
the oppofition among the EnglilTi coalefced with the 
former, reference may be made to the well-known 
troubles of which Captain Jacob Leisler and John 
Peter Zenger were, refpeftively, the more promi- 
nent parties — troubles which are well known, in their 
general features, to every careful ftudent of the 
hiftory of New York. 

In the former of thefe, as will be remembered, in 
1689, the Lieutenant-Governor, Nicholson, was de- 
prived of his authority by the outraged Colonifts, 
headed by Captain Abraham de Peyster, Lieuten- 
ant Hendrick Cuyler, Johannes de Peyster, Jan 
Van Gelder, Doctor Hans Kiersted, Isaac de 
Reimer, Joost Stole, Gerritt Duyckinck, Peter 
DE La Noy, Johannes Vermilje, Doctors Samuel 
Staats and George Beekman, John Cowenhoven, 
and Hendrick Jansen — the nationality of all of 
whom will be readily diftinguiftied by their names— 
and the fupreme authority within the Colony was 
conferred by the provifional " Committee of Safety," 
which had been organized and recognized by the great 



1 6 '^he Early Political 

body of the inhabitants of this city and its vicinity, 
on Captain Jacob Leisler, a well-known and in- 
fluential inhabitant of New Amfterdam in former 
days, but at the time of which we fpeak a wealthy 
merchant of New York,^ 

Of this protomartyr of American Independence 
the world knows too little ; for to his earneft and 
honefl: fervices in oppofition to monarchical ufurpa- 
tion and minifterial violations of the political rights 
of the subjed;, even the pens of republican hiftorians 
have been too tardy in rendering appropriate and 
fufiicient honor. 

Of his origin and early life we know nothing 
beyond the fa6l that he was a native of Frankfort in 
Germany ; •^ and the earlieft notice of him which the 
annals of the Colony have preferved, indicate that he 
was a profperous merchant in this city, while it was 
yet a dependency of the Dutch.^ On the eighteenth 
of March, 1663, he was married, in the ancient 
Dutch Church in this city, to Elsje Tymens, the 
widow of Peter Cornelison Vanderveen;* and 
feven children — Susanna, Catharina, Jacob, Mary, 

* Abftraft from Journal kept by Colonel Nicholas Bayard, fince 
June II, 1689 [N. Y. Colo. Docs., iii., 599); Stephen Van Cortlandt 
to Governor Andros, N. Y., 1689, July 9; A Modeft and Impartial 
Narrative of Several Grievances and Great OpprcfTions, &c. ; Jacob 
Leisler, and others, to the King, June 23, 1690. 

"^ " Introductory " to Vol. II. of T/ie Documentary Hijiory ,• Marriage 
Regifter of the Collegiate R. D. Church in New York. 

^ Remonitrance of the People of New Netherland to the Direftor- 
General and Council, September 5, 16645 Minutes of the Council of 
the Adminiftrations of Commanders Evertsen and Bencker, February 
I, 1674. 

* Marriage Regifter of the Collegiate R. D. Church in New York. 



Hijiory of New York. 17 

Johannes, Hester, and Francina — were the fruits 
of this marriage.^ 

His influence was fo great among the merchants 
of this city, that, in 1674, he was appointed one of 
the CommifTioners (Captain Martin Kregier and 
Francis Rombouts being his aflbciates) to provide 
means for the defence of the city ; " and in the afl'efl'- 
ment of the property of " the befl: and mofl: affluent 
" inhabitants of this city," in February of that year, 
Jacob Leisler and Johannes de Peyster, pofl!effing 
equal amounts of property, were the feventh and 
eighth on the lift — Frederic Philipsen, Cornelis 
Steenwyck, Nicolaes de Meyer, Olof Stevense 
Van Cortlandt, Jeronimus Ebbingh, and Corne- 
lis Van Kuyven alone exceeding them in the extent 
of their property;'^ while the Bayards, the Min- 
vielles, the Kiersteeds, the Van Brughes, the De 
Foreests, the Van de Waters, the Van der Spie- 
GELS, the Krigiers, the Beekmans, and, with one 
exception, the Van Cortlandts, were far below 
them on the property lifts of the day. 

As Mr. Leisler had been one of thofe who, in 
0(5lober, 1664, had refolutely refufed to take the oath 
of allegiance to the King of Great Britain and of 
obedience to his authority, until it was expreft^ed in 
fuch oath that fuch allegiance and fuch obedience 
were to be made "conformable to the Articles con- 



* Regifter of Baptifms in Collegiate R. D. Church in New York. 

"^ Minutes of the Council of the Adminilirations of Commanders 
EvERTSEN and Bencker, February i, 1674. 

' Affeffment Lilts in Minutes of the Council, &c., February 19, 
1674. 



1 8 '^he Early Political 

eluded at the Surrender of this place," ^ it is very 
evident that even at that early day he was duly fenfi- 
ble of the political rights of the Colonifts, as well as 
of the means which were neceflary to prote6l them 
againft the contingent aggreffions of the Government. 
Let it not be fuppofed, therefore, that he was a dif- 
interefted fpediator, when, in violation of the Articles 
of Surrender, the trade of the Colony with Holland 
was cut off by the Government ; '" when the outrages 
of William Dyer, the Duke of York's Colle6tor 
of Cuftoms in this city, led to his feizure by the 
merchants, and his depofition from office by their 
authority ; ^ when the Duke's Receiver-General failed 
to obtain any revenue, and was prevented from 
enforcing the laws even before the Courts of the 
Colony/ 

It is true, he took no public part in the revo- 
lutionary meafures of that early period ; but it is 
incredible that, when the mafs of the Colonifts, a 
few years later, confidered the Colony and all that it 
contained were in extreme danger, they fhould have 
looked for protection to one who had taken no inter- 



^ Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, Octo- 
ber 14th, 19th, and 20th, 1664, cited in Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 14-16. 
Lift of Names of the Dutch who Swore Allegiance after the Surrender of 
New York, in Colonial Documents, iii., 76. 

^ Orders in Council, November 18, 1668. 

^ " The Bill found againft Captain Wm. Dyre," and " The Pro- 
ceedings againft Mr. Dyer, Colleftor of the Port of New York;" Let- 
ter from the Court of Affizes at New York to the Secretary of State, 
1 68 1. Mr. Wm. Dyer's Petition to the King. 

* Letter of Captain Brockholes to Governor Andros, September 17, 
1681. 



Hijiory of New York. 19 

eft whatever in their welfare, who had not in fome 
way identified himfelf with them in their oppofition 
to the Government. Rather let it be fuppofed that, 
when the popular cry was raifed, '' Tot LeiJIer ! tot 
"■^Leijler! tot het huys von LeiJIer !" ^ and his leader- 
fhip was demanded by the excited and terror-ftricken 
inhabitants of the city to oppofe the expefted on- 
flaught of the banifhed Royalifts and their allies," 
recourfe was had to that authority which had been 
well tried, and which was confidered moft competent, 
moft truftworthy, and moft certain of fuccefs. 

During the entire period of the adminiftrations 
of Governors Nicolls, Lovelace, Andros, and 
DoNGAN, as is well known, the Colonifts were fub- 
jeded to continued outrages — during the term ot 
fervice of Governor Dongan efpecially, as was ad- 
mitted by one of his moft intimate friends, " Severall 
"Irregularities had been committed" — and the caufe 
for complaint was not diminifhed when Lieutenant- 
Governor Nicholson aftumed the reins of govern- 
ment within the Colony. It need not be wondered 
at, therefore, that the great body of the Colonifts in 
New York were fteadily oppofed to the Government ; 
and efpecially that the Dutch therein were ready, at a 
moment's notice, to effect a change. 

In the fpring of 1689, when intelligence reached 
New York that the Prince of Orange had landed in 



1 C. F. Hoffman's Adminiitration of Jacob Leisler (Sparks's 
American Biography, Second Series, iii., 197). 

- Lieutenant-Governor Leisler to the King, Januaiy 7, i^9o- The 
fame to Major Gold, 1689, the 2d June, in New Yorke 5 Dunlap's New 
York, i., 153. 



20 The Early Political 

England, that James had abandoned his throne, and 
that the Prince — one of their own countrymen, and 
a Proteftant — had afTumed the regal authority, the 
great body of the inhabitants of this city and vicin- 
ity arofe in its might and drove the Jacobites from 
power ;^ feizing the fort and garrifoning it;"" feizing 
the Governor's defpatches,^ and compelling Lieuten- 
ant-Governor Nicholson and his handful of adhe- 
rents to feek fafety in flight/ 

While this fcene was being performed within the 
city, rumors were fet afloat that the French were 
approaching by water to attack it from without ; and 
the inhabitants, raifed to the highefl: excitement by 
their internal political troubles, were led to fuppofe 
that external enemies — co-religionifl;s and poflibly 
allies of the Jacobites — were approaching to complete 
their defl:ruction.^ They appear to have underfliood 
their danger; and they underfliood also, it appears, 
unto whom they could look for fympathy, for coun- 
fel, and for leaderfhip. 

Stephen Van Cortlandt, one of the leaders 
of the Jacobites, faid " the people mett at Jacob 

' Council of New York to the Earl of Shrewfbury, 1689, June 10; 
Modeft and Impartial Narrative of Several Grievances, &c. 

^ Stephen Van Cortlandt to Governor Andros, N. Yorke, 1689, 
July 9 ; Colonel Bayard's Narrative of Occurrences, &c. ; Council of 
New York to the Earl of Shrewfbury, New York, 1689, June 10. 

=* Stephen Van Cortlandt to Governor Andros, N. Yorke, 1689, 
July 9; Colonel Bayard's Narrative of Occurrences, &c. ; Certificate of 
Fredryck Flypsen and Stephen Van Cortlandt, December 13, 1689. 

^ Stephen Van Cortlandt to Governor Andros, N. Yorke, 1689, 
July 9 5 Abltraft of Colonel Bayard's Journal. 

' Stephen Van Cortlandt to Governor Andros, N. Yorke, 1689, 
July 9 5 Smith's Hiftory of New York, i., 81. 



Hiftory of New York. 2i 

" Luyslaer's door;" and thither he and Frederic 
Philipsen proceeded, " and endeavoured to allay 
" them, but in vain." They would hear no words 
of peace from thofe of their own country who had 
proved recreant to the rights and the honor of the 
great body of the Colonifts/ 

At the requeft of the inhabitants thus affembled 
before his own door, Captain Leisler aiTumed the 
command of the fort ; " and under the diredion of a 
"Committee of Safety," compofed of two delegates 
from each of the fettlements of Brooklyn, Flatbufh, 
Flufhing, Newtown, Staten Ifland, EfTex in New 
Jerfey, Efopus, and Weftchefter, and the fame num- 
ber from this city, he adminiftered the government 
of the Colony until March, 1691, when Colonel 
Sloughter arrived in New York, and entered on 
his duties as Governor.'^ 

Of the fidelity with which Captain Leisler dif- 
charged the duties to which he had been called, or 
the undeviating loyalty with which he promoted the 
honor and the interefts of the Prince of Orange, I 
need not fpeak ; nor will time permit me to relate 
the remarkable combination of adverfe elements, in 
many cafes in oppofition to each other in times paft, 
which fubfequently led to his arreft and execution on 

' Stephen Van Cortlandt to Governor Andros, N. Yorke, 1689, 
July 9. 

- Fredryck Flypsen and Stephen Van Cortlandt to Secretary 
Blathwayt, Auguft 5, 1689; Commiffion from the Committee of 
Safety, June 8, 1689. 

' Commiffion from the Committee of Safety to the Commander-in- 
Chief, Auguft 16, 1689; Memorial of what has occurred in Their 
Ma'i'^'s Province of New York. 



22 T7z(? Early Political 

charges of treafon to the Sovereign whom he had 
ferved with fo much devotion, to the confifcation of 
his eftates, to the fubfequent reverfal of his attainder 
by the Parliament of Great Britain, or to the ulti- 
mate effeft of his death on the popular caufe in 
America. 

Suffice it to fay, that, after fentence had been pro- 
nounced on him, the united prayer of more than 
eighteen hundred perfons was prefented in writinp- to 
the Governor, by a Minifter of the Gofpel, urging a 
ftay of his execution and his removal to England 
'' to be judged by their Majefties " ^ — an appeal 
which weighed as nothing againft the fecretly-exercifed 
influence of the Bayards, the De Lanceys, the Van 
CoRTLANDTS, the LiviNGSTONs, the Philipses, and a 
few others whofe dignity had been offended ; ' while 
the honeft paftor who had prefented the petition was 
ruthleffly caft into prifon, and " accufed of being a 
rebel," for the patriotic part which he had taken in 
the matter. 

The fubfequent reverfal of his fentence by the 
higheft authority in the kingdom;" the reftoration of 
his eftates to his defolate family ; the difinterment 



^ Memoir and Relation of what occurred in the city of New Yoric, 
by William Van Breen, Joh : Provoost, and others, Oftober 15, 
1691. 

- Memorial of Chief-Jultice Attwood, 06tober 26, 1709; Minutes 
of the Board of Trade in the cafe of R.OBERT Livingston, 06fober 1, 
1695; Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, June 22, 1698; Com- 
mander-in-Chief and Council to Committee of Trade, July 29, 1691 ; 
Addrefs of the Merchants of New York, May 19, 1690. 

^ Order in Council in cafe of Leisler and Milbourne, March 11, 
1 69 1 ; Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, May 15, 1699. 



Hijlory of New T'ork. 23 

of his mutilated body from the hole at the foot of 
the gallows, into which it had been ignominioufly cafl: 
more than feven years before ; ^ its reinterment with 
military honors in the burial-ground of the Reformed 
Dutch Church during a terrific ftorm, and yet amidft 
the forrows of more than fifteen hundred fympathi- 
zing fpedlators ; - the fubfequent teft-vote, eight years 
after his death, when, of the " freeholders and free- 
*' men " of this city, four hundred and fifty-five 
declared themfelves Leifierians, while one hundred 
and feventy-feven were all who would avow their 
oppofition to his fentiments;^ the fteady progrefs of 
the popular power and the undeviating fidelity of the 
populace itfelf, within this city and neighborhood, to 
the great principles of republican government, while 
all elfe was confervative or monarchical, — all thefe 
bear witnefs to the integrity of Captain Leisler as 
a man, to his loyalty as a fubjeft, to his purity as a 
patriot. 

Concerning this interefl:ing and important portion 
of the Early Political Hiftory of New York, as fuch, 
little has been written, although much has been col- 
lected ; and it is fincerely hoped that, at an early day, 
it will receive that careful attention from the patient 
and critical labors of fome one or more of our aflb- 
ciates which its importance demands. 

Still nearer our own times, when the conflid: be- 
tween the Morrises and the De Lanceys was at its 



^ Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, Oftober 21, 1698 ; Heads 
of Acculation againll the Earl of Bellomont, March 11, 1700. 
- Ibid. 
^ Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, April 27, 1699. 



2,4 The Early Political 

height, the rallying point of the maffes of the oppo- 
fition was the venerable Rip Van Dam, at that time 
the recognized head of the Dutch in New York; 
and he it was who formed the chief fupport of John 
Peter Zenger, the popular printer of that day, 
during the tedious perfecution for libel to which he 
was fubjeded by the Government. 

The perfonal hiftory of this noted printer — the 
fecond of the great political centres around which the 
mafs of the Colonifts in New York cluttered in the 
earlier days of the Revolution — is not unworthy of 
notice by thofe who would know the earlier political 
hiftory of this State. 

A native of Germany, where he was born in 
1697, he was deprived of his father at an early age; 
and when the French perfecuted the Palatines with 
fuch feverity that the heart of the Oueen of Great 
Britain was touched with fympathy, fhe refcued 
many of them, furniftied homes for them in New 
York and others of her colonies in America, and 
fent young Zenger, with his widowed mother, his 
fifter, and his young brother, to this city.^ Strangers 
in a ftrange land, this unproteded family depended 
on the bounty of the Sovereign for fupport, in part, 
if not entirely ; and on the twenty-fixth of Odober, 
1 7 10, the public authorities of the city, by the Hon. 
Rip Van Dam and Doctor Staats, apprenticed the 
eldeft fon, a lad of thirteen years, to William Brad- 
ford, the public printer, to learn the art and myftery 



' Lift of Palatines remaining at New York, lyioj Dr. E. B. O'Cal- 
LAGHAN, in note to Colonial Documents, vi., 80. 



Hijiory of New Tork. 25 

of that profeffion/ He ferved his mafter with fidel- 
ity during four years, paffing through all the various 
grades within " the chapel " (in the phrafeology of 
the printers) ; and when his time of fervice had 
expired, he was received into the bufinefs as a partner 
with his former mafter."^ He fubfequently embarked 
in bufinefs in this city on his own account ; and on 
the eleventh of September, 172a, he was married, in 
the old Reformed Dutch Church in Garden Street— 
now Exchange Place— to Anna Catharina Man- 



LIN.^ 



In the autumn of 1733, he eftablifiied the fecond 
newfpaper in the Colony— "The New York Weekly 
"Journal, containing the freflieft advices, foreign and 
"^(5Wf/?/V"'— which very foon afterward became the 
acknowledged organ of the popular party in this 
city and vicinity. The aftive pens of Chief-Juftice 
Morris, and James Alexander, and William 
Smith, Senior, were among thofe which furnifiied the 
"leaders" for this journal; and the weight of their 
blows crufiied the harnefs of the Government, and 
efliabliOied the freedom of the Prefs in the Colony.'^ 
Under thefe circumftances, while the real offend- 



1 Names of the Palatine Children apprenticed by Governor Hunter, 



1710-1714. 



"- The imprint of "Bradford and Zenger" on the title-page of 
"Klagte -van Eeinge Leeden der Nederduytfe Her^ormde Kerk, tvoo^^ede 
op Rarctans, &c.r a copy of which is in the Society's Library. 

3 Record of Marriages in the Collegiate R. D. Church, New York 



City 



^'^The file of the paper, in the Library of the Society; Thomas's 
Hiftory of Printing. 

6 Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 36. 



2 6 'The Early Political 

ers were protefted by their mafk, the weight of the 
official indignation fell on the printer ; and his papers 
were ordered to be burned by the public executioner,^ 
while he himfelf was arrefted on a charge of libel, and 
committed to prifon." 

The arbitrary erafure of the names of his counfel 
from the rolls of the Court ; ^ his able defence, by 
Andrew Hamilton, of Philadelphia;'^ his triumph- 
ant acquittal by a jury of the Colony; the exulta- 
tion of the great body of the Colonifts, led by the 
Corporation of the City of New York;^ the effe6l 
of that acquittal on the freedom of the Colonial 
Prefs ; *' and its ultimate confequences in the eftab- 
lifhment of the Independence of the Colonies and 
of the political rights of mankind, have been here- 
tofore fet forth in your hearing by one of your 
affociates, and I need not here recapitulate all the 
details.^ 

The important confequences refulting from the 



^ Minutes of" the Provincial Council, November 2, 1734; Smith's 
Hiftory of New York, ii., 15. 

^ DuNLAP's Hiftory of New York, i., 300; Smith's Hiftory of New 
York, ii., 17. 

^ Smith's Hiftory of New York, ii., 19, 20; Dunlap's Hiftory of 
New York, i., 300. 

■* Trial of John Peter Zenger (Edit. London, 1752); Smith's Hif- 
tory of New York, ii., 21, 22. 

'" Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of New York, 
quoted by Mr. Dawson in The Sons of Liberty in Ne^iu Tork, 36-38. 

•^ Smith's Hiftory of New York, ii., 23 ; Dawson's Sons of Lib- 
erty, 39. 

' The paper entitled " The Sons of Liberty in Nen.v York^^ read before 
the Society on the 3d of May, 1859, by Mr. Henry B. Dawson, of 
Morrifania, N. Y. 



Hijlory of New York. t] 

acquittal of John Peter Zenger, and its great influ- 
ence on the Early Political Hiftory of New York, 
and on that of the United States, prompts me, how- 
ever, to prefent a brief fketch of this remarkable 
Trial for Libel ; and I do fo the more willingly, 
becaufe 1 have reafon to believe that it will be accept- 
able to many of the members, whofe purfuits prevent 
them from making the invefl:igations requifite to a 
proper appreciation of fome of the minute particulars 
which form the material portion of this noted cafe, 
and are among the chara(5teriftic features aflbciated 
with this narrative, prefenting an effect quite dra- 
matic. 

It is reported of the fecond of my predeceffors in 
the Preiidential chair — Gouverneur Morris — that 
" inllead of dating American liberty from the Stamp 
"Ad:, he traced it to the perfecution of Peter Zen- 
" GER, becaufe that event revealed the philofophy of 
"freedom both of thought and fpeech, as an inborn 
"human right, fo nobly fet forth in Milton's Trea- 
" tife on Unlicenfed Printing."^ 

Mr. Zenger iffued the firft number of his Weekly 
Journal on the fifth of November, 1733; and it 
immediately arrefted the attention of the Colonial 
authorities by the appearance in its columns of a 
feries of fevere animadverfions on the meafures of 
the Government, as has been already fl:ated. 

In the following January, Chief-Juftice De Lan- 
CEY called the attention of the Grand Jury to the 
alleged Libel which it contained ; but no Bill was 



* Tuckerman's "America and her Commentators," 7, note. 



28 The Early Political 

found by that body. Again, in the latter part of 
Oftober, the Chief-Juftice renewed the attempt to 
arreft Zenger's opposition ; but once more the Jury 
refufed to return a Bill. 

On the feventeenth of October, 1734, the Coun- 
cil of the Province took the fubjed: into confidera- 
tion, the refult of which was the appointment by 
that body of a Committee to confer with a fimilar 
Committee to be appointed by the Aflembly, and 
" to examine and enquire into the faid Papers, and 
" the Authors and Writers thereof." 

In conformity with the requeft of the Council, 
the Houfe appointed, on the fame day, a Committee of 
Conference ; and on the enfuing evening the Com- 
mittees met and difcufled the fubjedi-matter which had 
been referred to them. The Conference clofed with 
a formal requeft, in writing, on behalf of the Coun- 
cil, that the Aflembly fhould concur with that body 
in declaring that Numbers 7, 47, 48, and 49 of 
Zenger's Paper contained Libels on the Govern- 
ment, and ftiould be burned by the common Hang- 
man ; that a reward fhould be offered for the difcov- 
ery of the authors of the obnoxious articles ; that an 
Order fhould be ifliied for the profecution of the 
Printer ; and that a fimilar Order fhould be iffued to 
the Magiftrates to exert themfelves in the execution 
of their Offices, in order to preferve the public peace 
of the Colony. This requeft was reported to the 
Affembly ; but, on the twenty-fecond of October, 
1734, that body ordered the papers and requeft to 
be laid on the Table ; and, a fecond time, the pur- 
pofes of the Government were fruftrated. 



Hijiory of New York, 29 

On the fecond of November following the Coun- 
cil ifTued an Order, without the concurrence of the 
Affembly, diredling that the papers referred to be 
publicly burned by the common Hangman ; and it 
ordered, alfo, "that the Mayor and Magiftrates of 
" this city do attend at the burning the feveral 
" Papers or Journals aforefaid, numbered as above 
" mentioned." 

To this Order of the Council the Mayor and 
Magiftrates, aftembled in Quarter Seftions, refponded 
by forbidding the entry of it on their Books — fome 
of them threatening to enter their Proteft againft it 
fhould the entry be made on the Records. 

Four days later, the Sheriff formally moved the 
Court to comply with the Order referred to, when a 
Proteft was read with the approbation of all the 
Aldermen ; but it was not entered, becaufe that 
would demand the entry of the Order of the Council 
— a paper which the Magiftrates would not recognize 
even to the extent of entering it on their Minutes. 
At the fame time the public executioner, who was an 
officer of the Corporation, was not authorized to 
execute the Order ; and the papers were burned by a 
negro-flave, the property of the Sheriff, in the pref- 
ence of the Recorder, Mr. Dumbar, and fome of the 
officers of the garrifon. 

The Council alfo iffued an Order to the Sheriff 
commanding him to arreft Mr. Zenger for printing 
and publifhing the feveral libellous papers to which 
reference has been made ; and on Sunday, the feven- 
teenth of November, he was arrefted and committed 
to prifon. 



30 The Early Political 

A Writ of Habeas Corpus was ifTuedj in order 
to fecure either his difcharge or his liberation on 
Bail ; and on the twentieth of November, when the 
Return was prefented to the Court, Meffrs. James 
Alexander and William Smith, Sr., excepted to it. 

Thefe exceptions were argued in the " presence 
"of fome hundreds of the Inhabitants," when the 
Prifoner's Counfel infifted that he might be admitted 
to reafonable Bail, citing Magna Charta, The Petition 
of Right (3 Carolus) ; The Habeas Corpus Ati of 
32 Carolus II.; 2 Hawkins, Chap, 15, Sec. 5; 
The Caje of the Seven Bi/Iiops^ Temp. Jacobus II., 
in fupport of their motion. The Council for the 
Crown oppofed with fome warmth, which was re- 
fented by the audience ; but an order was entered 
admitting him to Bail, himfelf in £400, and two 
fureties in .£200 each, the prifoner to ftand commit- 
ted in the meanwhile. 

At the term of January, 1735, the Grand Jury 
again refufed to return a Bill againft the Prifoner ; 
but the Attorney-General immediately filed an Infor- 
mation againft him, and on that he was arraigned. 

The Prifoner's Counfel offered Exceptions to this 
Information, but not until the April Term of the 
Court could thofe Exceptions be perfedied; and on the 
fifteenth of that month Exceptions were alfo offered to 
the commiffion of each of the Judges of the Court, 
becaufe. First, They were granted during Pleafure of 
the Government inftead of during good behaviour of the 
Judge ; Second, The extent of authority granted was 
greater than warranted by Law; Third, The form 
of the Commiftion was not warranted by the Com- 



Hijlory of New Tork. 3 1 

mon Law, or any Statute of England, or any Aft of 
the Aflembly of the Colony; and Fourth, That the 
Commiflion was granted by Governor Cosby, without 
the Advice and Confent of the Council ; and a motion 
was offered that thefe Exceptions fhould be filed. On 
the following day (April fixteenth), when the Prifon- 
er's Counfel appeared to argue the Exceptions which 
had been filed on the preceding day, Chief-Juftice 
De Lancey informed them " that the Court would 
" neither hear them nor allow the Exceptions ; for," 
faid he, " you thought to have gained a great deal of 
"applaufe and popularity by oppofing this Court, 
"as you did the Court of Exchequer ; but you have 
" brought it to this point, that either we muft go 
"from the Bench or you from the Bar;" and an 
Order was made excluding them " from any farther 
" Praftice in this Court, and that their names be 
" ftruck out of the Roll of Attornies of this Court." 
Having thus difrobed the Prifoner's Counfel, the 
Court affigned John Chambers, Efq., to conduft the 
defence ; but fome of Zenger's friends privately 
engaged the venerable Andrew Hamilton, of Phila- 
delphia — one of the moft able members of the Colo- 
nial Bar — to appear and defend the Prifoner before 

the Jury. 

On the fourth of Auguft, 1735, the Court aflem- 
bled for the trial of the Prifoner; and the moft 
intenfe intereft prevailed throughout the city. 

The Attorney-General opened the Information 
with a few remarks on the fubjeft of Libels, and 
their mifchievous effefts ; and he was followed by 
Mr. Chambers, who fet forth the charafter of a 



32 T^he Early Political 

Libel ; the great allowance which ought to be made 
for what men fpeak or write ; the necefiity that fome 
particular perfon fhould be pointed out in the matter 
complained of; and his confidence that the Attorney- 
General would fail in his proof to eflablifh the latter 
point. 

When Mr. Chambers had concluded, Mr. Ham- 
ilton arofe and informed the Court of his retainer 
to affift in the defence of the Prifoner; and at the 
fame time he admitted the publication of the alleged 
libel by the Prifoner, and maintained his right to 
do fo. 

The witnefTes who had been fummoned by the 
Crown to prove the publication were immediately 
difcharged ; and the Attorney-General affumed that 
a VerdiA mufl be given for the King, of courfe ; 
" for, fuppofing the obnoxious articles were true, the 
" Law fays that they are not the lefs libellous for that; 
" nay, indeed, the Law fays their being true is an 
"aggravation of the Crime." 

To this Mr. Hamilton objected, infilling that 
the words complained of " muil be libellous — that is. 
'''' falfe, JcandalouSy and /editions^ or elfe the Prifoner 
" was not guilty." 

The Attorney-General proceeded to argue for the 
Crown, on the reverence which was due to the Gov- 
ernment ; that, inafmuch as it proteded Life, Reli- 
gion, and Property, care fliould be taken to proted 
it from fcandal ; and that Libels on the Government 
had often been punifhed ; in fupport of which he 
cited 5 Coke, 125; Wood's Inftitutes^ 430; 2 Lilly, 
168; I Hawkins, 73, 11, 6. He infilled that the 



Hijlory of New York. 33 

Libel was a malicious defamation of another, for 
which, in every cafe, punifhment is due, but efpe- 
cially fo if the Government is the objedl; that it is 
the fame whether the matter is true or falfe ; that it 
was equally fo by the Law of God, in fupport of 
which he cited Atls xxiii. 5, 2 Peter ii. 10; that the 
Prifoner had fcandalized the Governor of the Colony, 
as well as the Council and the Affembly, and that it 
was neceiTary to punifh him. 

Mr. Chambers followed in behalf of the Prifoner, 
obferving "with great ftrength of Reafon, on Mr. 
"Attorney's Defed: of proof that the Papers in the 
" Information were yi?^^, malicious^ or Jeditious^ which 
"was incumbent on him to prove to the Jury, and 
"without which they could not on their oath fay that 
" they were Jo, as charged^ 

The Defence clofed with an elaborate and power- 
ful argument by Mr. Hamilton, in which he contro- 
verted, with great ability, the points taken for the 
Crown — denying "that the juft complaints of a 
"number of men who fuffer under a bad ADMIN- 
"ISTRATION is libelling that ADMINISTRA- 
"TION;" that the decifions of " M^/ terrible 
Court" which the Attorney-General had cited were 
Precedents to them ; and that the Governor was 
"vefted with all the prerogatives belonging to the 
" facred perfon of his Prince," as had been main- 
tained. He denied that decifions concerning Libels 
againft the King were applicable to offences againft 
the Governor of New York ; and that the Laws of 
England were not neceffarily applicable to the cafes 
of the Colonifts in America. He infilled that a 



34 T^he Early Political 

Libel is fuch only when the words are Jcandalous^ 
feditiouSj falfe, and tending to dijquiet the People ; and 
he offered to admit the charge, if the Attorney-Gen- 
eral would prove the words complained of were 
falfe — he even offered to prove that they were true, 
which the Chief-Juftice would not allow him to do. 
He infilled on his right to fubm.it the Truth in evi 
dence upon an Information for Libel; and he con- 
tended with the Chief-Juflice on the queftion of the 
origin of that proceeding — maintaining that " it was 
" a child, if not born, yet nurfed up and brought to 
" full maturity in the Court of Star Chamber." 

He maintained that " the Falfehood makes the 
" Scandal, and both make the Libel ; " and he in- 
quired, "How fhall it be known whether the words 
" are Libellous — that is, true or falfe, by admitting 
"proof of their truth — fince the Attorney-General 
" would not undertake to prove them falfe ? " 

The Court refufed to receive teftimony on this 
point; when Mr. Hamilton turned to the Jury, 
and appealed to it as witnejfes of the truth of the fatis 
which he had offered to prove, and been denied the liberty 
to do fo. 

This ftartling manoeuvre appears to have alarmed 
the Court ; and the Attorney-General and the Chief- 
Juftice infifted that the Jury might find that Zenger 
had publifhed the obnoxious words, and leave the 
queftion of their charadier — whether they were or 
were not libellous — for the decifion of the Court ; 
but Mr. Hamilton replied that the Jury might alfo 
do otherwife, as it poffeffed the right to determine on 
both the Law and the Fad;. 



Hijlory of New 7~ork. 35 

At great length, in the fame fpirit, Mr. Hamil- 
ton argued for the Prifoner ; and at the conclufion 
of his remarks the Chief-Juftice charged the Jury 
"that, as the Fafts or Words in the Information are 
" confeffed, the only thing that could come in quef- 
" tion was, whether the Words as fet forth in the 
" Information make a Libel ; and that," he remarked, 
" was a matter of Law, no doubt, and which it might 
" leave to the Court," reading at the fame time, for 
the inftruftion of the Jurors, the opinion of Chief- 
Juftice Holt in the cafe of Tutchin. 

This celebrated cafe, which occurred in the year 
1704, and in which the great legal abilities of Chief- 
Juftice Holt were difplayed, is fo little known, and 
the work which contains it^ is fo generally inaccef- 
fible, that I cannot forbear the citation, for your 
confideration, of that portion of the Judge's charge 
which bears on the cafe of Zenger. 

The learned Chief-Juftice, after referring to the 
publication entitled ^^The Ob/ervator,^' addrefted the 
Jury as follows : 

" So that, now you have heard this evidence, you 
"are to confider whether you are fatisfied that Mr. 
"Tutchin is guilty of writing, compofmg, and 
" publiftiing thefe libels. They fay they are innocent 
" papers, and no libels ; and they fay nothing is a 
" libel but what reflects upon fome particular perfon. 
" But this' is a very ftrange dodrine, to fay it is not 
" a libel refleding on the Government, endeavoring 
" to poftefs the people that the Government is mal- 



' Howell's State Trials, xiv., 1095. 



^6 The Early Political 

adminiftered by corrupt perfons that are employed 
in fuch or fuch ftations, either in the navy or army. 

" To fay that corrupt officers are appointed to 
administer affairs, is certainly a reflection on the 
Government. If people fhould not be called to 
account for pofTeffing the people with an ill opinion 
of the Government, no Government can fubfift. 
For it is very neceflary for all Governments that 
the people fliould have a good opinion of it. And 
nothing can be worfe to any Government, than to 
endeavor to procure animoiities as to the man- 
agement of it ; this has been always looked upon 
as a crime, and no Government can be fafe without 
it be punifhed. 

" Now you are to confider, whether thefe words 
I have read to you do not tend to beget an ill 
opinion of the adminifl:ration of the Government. 
To tell us, that thofe that are employed know 
nothing of the matter, and thofe that dp know are 
not employed. Men are not adapted to offices, 
but offices to men, out of a particular regard to 
their interefts, and not to their fitnefs for the place ; 
this is the purport of thefe papers. 

" Now they, on his behalf, infift on thefe things : 
First, they fay you do not prove any crime in 
London. Indeed, it is not proved that he writ 
them in London ; but the queftion is, whether 
there is not proof of the compofing and publica- 
tion in London ? There is proof that they were 
fent to Mr. How in order to print them in Lon- 
don. Now, whether he received them from him in 
London or no (but fuppofe out of London), yet 



Hijlory of New York. 37 

' if he received them to print them in London, that 
'is a publication in London. If they fcruple that 
'matter, it iliouid be fpecially found. If they were 
' delivered to be printed at London, I muft leave it 
' to your confideration whether you will not find him 
'guilty of publilhing them in London. They were 
' fome of them printed in Fenchurch Street, and 
'others in Gracechurch Street. He knew where the 
' printer lived ; the contrail was made, and he was 
' paid for them. 

" Gentlemen, I muft leave it to you : if you are 
' fatisfied that he is guilty of compofing and publifh- 
' ing thefe papers at London, you are to find him 
'guilty," 

Chief-Juftice De Lancey, having fubmitted to 
the Jury this opinion of one of the moft learned of 
England's Judges, as declaratory of the law applica- 
ble to this "Information," they thereupon retired. 

The Jury were abfent only " a fmall time," and, 
on returning into Court, rendered a verdi6l of ^^ Not 
^^ Guilty,'^ amidft the huzzas of the aflembled People.^ 
This triumph of Right, of Juftice, and of Freedom, 
was one of thofe elementary caufes 

" Which in their 
Seeds, and weak beginnings, lie intreafured. 
Such things become the hatch and brood of time." 

The key-note of this vidiory enkindled in the 
popular heart and mind afpirations which found a 
louder tone in the next generation, when incipient 

Trial of John Peter Zenger (Edit. London, 1752). 



jS The Early Political 

meafures "looking to Independence ' were firft 
broached in this city ; a tone which, in 1776, 
fwelled into ever-memorable grandeur on the day 
that " The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen 
" United States of America," in Congrefs affembled, 
was folemnly publifhed. Then it was that 

" Freedom, from her mountain height, 

Unfurl'd her ftandard to the air ; 
She tore the azure robe of night, 
And fet the ftars of glory there ! " 
* * -X- * * 

" Forever float that ftandard fheet ! 

Where breathes the foe but falls before us ? 
With Freedom's foil beneath our feet. 

And Freedom's banner floating o'er us ! " * 

A few months after the termination of the perfe- 
cution of John Peter Zenger, and his reftoration 
to his bufinefs and his family, the Colony was ftartled 
by the death of Governor Cosby, and by the rival 
claims of Rip Van Dam and George Clarke to 
the right of fucceffion in the Government — the narra- 
tive of which has neceffarily arrefted the attention of 
ftudents of the Early Political Hiftory of New York. 

I hope I may be excufed for prefenting, at this 
time and place, the following brief Iketch of the life 
and charafter of Mr, Van Dam, the venerable and 
influential leader of the popular party within the 
Colony ; as the Paper heretofore read by me before 
the Society on the fubjed; was defigned as introduc- 

' "The American Flag," by Drake (the clofmg verfe by Halleck). 



Hijiory of New Tork. 3^ 

tory to, rather than as a memoir of, this diftinguifhed 
man, and of the times of which I am now fpeaking. 

A member of a widely-known and influential fam- 
ily at Albany, where he was born,^ probably while 
that city was yet a dependency of the Dutch, Rip 
Van Dam appears to have fought his fortune in the 
city of New York at an early age. On the four- 
teenth of September, 1684, he was married, in the 
Reformed Dutch Church in this city, to Sara Van- 
DERSPEiGLE, the daughter of a wealthy baker ; ^ and 
the occafion has been noticed as one of the notable 
events of that period." Of this marriage, feven chil- 
dren were born — Maria, Sara, Nicholaes, Maria, 
Catharine, Rip, and Margaretta"^ — five of whom 
are faid to have furvived him. 

He appears to have been engaged in trade at an 
early day ; and it is faid that he not unfrequently 
commanded in perfon his good floop Catharine^ in 
her trips to the Wefl: Indies.^ 

In his youth, in common with other members of 
his family at Albany, he was decidedly confervative 
in his political fentiments ; ^ but while the Earl of 
Bellomont was Governor, with Colonel Bayard and 
feveral other prominent Anti-Leiflerians, he joined 



' Record of Marriages, Collegiate R. D. Church, New York. 

'' Ibid. 

' Valentine's Manual, 1862, 774, 775. 

* Record of Baptifms, Collegiate R. D. Church, New York. 

^ Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, in Colonial Documents of Ne-iv Tork, vi., 
158, note. 

" He was the candidate of the Anti-Leillerian party for the office of 
Alderman, in 1699. [Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, April 27, 
1699.) Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, as above. 



40 "The Early Political 

the oppofition, and thenceforth was one of the lead- 
ers of the popular party/ 

In the fpring of 1699, the Leiflerian party in the 
city of New York contended with the Government 
for the control of the municipality ; and it polled 
four hundred and fifty-five votes againft one hundred 
and feventy-feven for its opponents."^ 

The Earl of Bellomont, in one of his defpatches 
to the Lords of Trade, referred flightingly to the 
fuccefsful candidates in thefe words: "And the reft 
" of the fadion as an artifice to draw all the Englifh 
" to vote for their friends, call'd themfelves the 
" Englifli party, but what is obfervable and very 
" rediculous befides is, that three of the four Can- 
" didates they fet up were as meer Dutch as any are 
"in this town. Alderman Wenham was the only 
" Englifhman of 'em, the other three were Johan- 
" NEs Van Kipp, Rip Van Dam, and Jacobus Van 
"Courtland; the names fpeak Dutch, and the men 
"fcarce fpeak Englifh." 

In this connexion it will not be irrelevant, I 
truft, to contraft the following incidents with the 
above official comment concerning Mr. Van Dam's 
nationality and that of his two friends, and their 
alleged incapacity to difcharge their public duties, 
from inability to "fpeak Englifh" corredly. 

While it is very evident from the defpatch in 
queftion, that his Lordfhip had not drunk very 
deeply at the well of "pure Englifh undefiled," not- 



' Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, as above. 

^ The Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade, April 27, 1699. 



Hijiory of New York. 41 

withftanding his apparent fondnefs for criticifm, it 
may be well to refer to the experience, on a fimilar 
fubjed, of Hugh, the fourth Earl of Marchmont, a 
diftinguifhed Scotch peer, who was born in 1708 and 
died in 1794 — the friend and executor of Pope. 

BoswELL, in his " Life of Johnson," tells us that 
he had recommended to his countrymen to imitate 
the pronunciation of the Earl, which was fo perfed 
as to conceal his Scottifh accent. The Earl, how- 
ever, furnifhes this " comment " on his fpeech, as 
recorded by himfelf : 

He had called at a fhop in London, where he 
was not known. In the courfe of their converfation, 
the fhopkeeper faid to him : " I fuppofe. Sir, you 
"are an American." "Why fo?" afked his Lord- 
fhip. " Becaufe, Sir," replied the mafter of the fhop, 
"you fpeak neither Englifh nor Scotch, but fome- 
" thing different from both ; which, I conclude, is 
" the language of America." ^ 

Even Edmund Burke, the fcholar and ftatefman 
— one of the moil eloquent men of his time — is faid 
to have "retained to the laft more of the Irifh accent 
" than was agreeable to lefs indulgent ears," even 
of thofe who liftened to his impaffioned fpeeches in 
Parliament, or who, in the focial circle, were de- 
lighted with his converfational powers and the ex- 
uberant flow of his "wit and wifdom."- 

It is alfo recorded that Dodor Johnson, while 
engaged in the compilation of his Di5iionary, was 



' Boswell's Life of Johnson, iii., 190. 
"^ Ibid., 189, note. 



42 '^he Early Political 

told by the celebrated Lord Chesterfield, who was 
of IriJIi defcent, that the word great fhould be pro- 
nounced fo as to rhyme ^\\}i\ Jlate ; while Sir Wil- 
liam YoNGE (Sir Robert Walpole's Secretary at 
War) infifted that it fhould rhyme with Jeat^ and 
remarked "that none but an Irifhman would pro- 
" nounce it graitT ^ 

Now, here were two men of the higheft rank, the 
one the beft Speaker of the Houfe of Lords, the 
other the beft Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, 
differing entirely in the proper pronunciation of one 
of the moil: fimple words in our language. 

Under the circumftances, the fagacious and up- 
right Van Dam might reafonably have been fpared 
the official contumely of his political opponents, 
becaufe of his imperfedl pronunciation of the Englifh 
language ; and his Lordfhip might alfo have fpared 
his party from the cenfure which juftly followed an 
invidious prejudice againft thefe public-fpirited indi- 
viduals, whofe fole offence was their perfonal influ- 
ence with their fellow-citizens. 

Whether as a confervative or as a member of the 
oppofition, Mr. Van Dam never loll fight of his 
duty as a citizen, and he was conftantly alive to the 
beft interefts of the city and the Province. 

Thus, in March, 1700, he united with Nicholas 
Bayard, Robert Watts, Elie Boudinote, Ste- 
phen De Lancey, J. Van Courtland, Barent 
Schuyler, Joseph Billop, Adolphus Phillipsen, 
and others, " Merchants of New York in America," 

' Boswell's Life of Johnson, iii., 191. 



Hiftory of New Tork. 43 

in praying the King to feparate the Government of 
New England from that of New York, in confe- 
quence of the " many and great inconveniences 
" which dayly happened," to the detriment of trade, 
the retarding of juftice, and the difcouragement of 
induftry in every portion of the Province.^ In 
December, 1701, he united with the Proteftants of 
this Province in petitioning the King for a redrefs 
of grievances to which they had been fubjedled by the 
Provincial Government;^ and in February, 171 1, 
with all the leading Merchants of the city, he prayed 
for the ilTue of orders retraining the employment of 
men-of-war in the carrying trade between the Colo- 
nies and the Weft Indies — a praftice which had 
proved injurious to the bufinefs of thofe who were 
engaged in that trade.^ 

It is faid, alfo, that Mr. Van Dam was engaged 
with James Mills in the bufinefs of fhipbuilding ; 
and that their shipyard was on the North River, in 
front of Trinity Church^ — the front of which, at 
that day, was at its weftern extremity. It is not 
known, however, to what extent this branch of his 
bufinefs was carried. 

On the arrival of Lord Cornbury, in 1702, he 
found the Province in the greateft diforder, in confe- 

^ Petition of fundry Merchants of New York to the King, March, 
1700. 

- Petition of the Protertants of New York to the King, December 30, 
1701. 

^ Petition of feveral Merchants of New York to the Queen, February 
20, 171 1. 

* Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, in Colonial Docianents of Nenv 7'ork, vi., 
158, note. 



44 '^he Early Political 

quence of the ftrong partifan feelings in which the 
Colonifts had indulged, and the violent meafures to 
which the leaders of the feveral parties had reforted 
either to fecure or to maintain the political fuprem- 
acy.^ The oppofition, or popular party, among whom 
Van Dam was prominent, fecured the vi6lory ; and 
in June, 1702, the Governor fufpended from office, 
as members of the Council, Chief-Juftice Atwood, 
Colledor Weaver, Colonel Abraham De Peyster, 
and others; and appointed Mr. Van Dam and his 
friends to the vacant feats" — a change which was 
approved by the Oueen in Council, on the twenty- 
firft of January, 1703.^ 

Mr. Van Dam continued to occupy a feat in the 
Council of the Province until the firft of July, 173 i, 
when, in confequence of the death of Governor 
Montgomerie, as fenior Councillor, he became 
Prefident of that body, and ex officio Afting Gov- 
ernor of the Province."^ 

The public fervice requiring a provifion for the 
fupport of the military poft at Ofwego, and for the 
defence of Albany, Prefident Van Dam called the 
Affembly together, in Auguft, 1731;'' when various 



' Lord CORNBURY to the Lords of Trade, May 3 and 18, and June 
16, 1702. 

^ Lord CoRNBURY to the Lords of Trade, June 16, 1702; Minutes 
of the Queen in Council, January 21, 1703. 

^ Minutes of the Queen in Council, January 21, 1703. 

* Prefident Van Dam to the Lords of Trade, July i and September 
II, 173 1 ; Smith's Hiftory of New York, i., 245. 

^ Journals of the Affembly; Prefident Van Dam to the Duke of New- 
caftle, September 11, 1731. The fame to the Lords of Trade, September 
II and November 2, 1731. 



Hifiory of New Tork. 45 

meafures befides thofe referred to were aded on and 
approved by him/ 

During his adminiftration of the Government of 
the Colony, Prefident Van Dam refifted the attempts 
which were made to eftablifh Courts of Chancery 
within the Colony, as Governor Montgomerie had 
refifted them; and, like that officer, he fteadily re- 
fufed to take the oath of office as Chancellor, not- 
withftanding its evil effed on the revenue of the 
Colony and the pofitive Inftrudions of the Home 
Government to the contrary.'-^ As no other Court 
poffefled authority to compel the payment of quit- 
rents, or to adjudicate contefted titles, it will be feen 
that this omiffion on the part of Prefident Van Dam 
to carry out the Inftructions of the Miniftry was at 
once a ferious blow to the authority and the interefts 
of the Crown within the Colony; and it was evi- 
dently a meafure which required the greateft boldnefs 
in its conception and the moft unbending decifion of 
charader in its execution. 

On the firft of Auguft, 1732, Prefident Van Dam 
was fuperfeded by Governor Cosby ;^ and imme- 
diately afterward all the bitternefs of feeling which 
had remained dormant during feveral years, broke 
out with redoubled fury. Governor Cosby appears 
to have thrown himfelf entirely into the hands of 
thofe who had been in the minority during the pre- 



> Prefident Van Dam to the Lords of Trade, November 2, 1731, with 
liit of the Aas referred to. 

2 Lords of Trade to Prefident Van Dam, February 4, 1732- 

3 Lords of Trade to Prefident Van Dam, February 4, 1732; Smith's 
Hiftory of New York, i., 248. 



46 '^he Early Political 

ceding adminiftration ; and the Colony was fpeedily 
the fcene of the greateft excitement. 

The Governor, among other extraordinary mea- 
fures, demanded one half the fees which Prefident 
Van Dam had collected during his adminiftration of 
the Government ; and for its recovery he inftituted 
a fuit, by way of Information, in the Equity fide of 
the Exchequer. Mr. Van Dam contefted the claim ; 
and as the Court itfelf was divided, party-wife, on 
the queftion, this meafure ferved to increafe rather 
than to allay the popular excitement.^ The fubjed 
was fubfequently dropped by the Governor, and Mr. 
Van Dam retained the entire amount of the fees 
which he had coUeded ; while the proceedings of 
Cosby, it is faid, " gave general difguft." 

In the latter part of the year 1733, Mr. Van 
Dam prefented charges to the Home Government 
againft Governor Cosby ; -^ and thenceforth the former 
became the recognized head of the popular party in 
the Colony, and one of the principal fupporters of 
John Peter Zenger, in his violent oppofition to 
the Government. So determined, indeed, was the 
oppofition of the venerable Van Dam and that of 
his friends, that the Governor afked permiffion to 
remove him from the Provincial Council;^ and a 
majority of that body, feeking to expedite the move- 



' Governor Cosby to the Duke of Newcaftle, May 3, 1733 ; Smith's 
Hiftory of New York, ii., 4-6. 

^ Heads of Articles of Complaint to be exhibited, &c., December 17, 
1733. 

" Governor Cosby to the Lords of Trade, June 19 and December 6 
and 7, 1734. 



Hijlory of New Tork, 47 

ment, refufed to fit with him at the Board.^ In 
Auguft, 1735, the Lords of Trade advifed Queen 
Caroline (" Guardian of the Kingdom of Great 
Britain and His Majefty's Lieutenant within the 
fame"), to remove him from office, agreeably to the 
Governor's requeft ; '^ but the advice does not appear 
to have been noticed by Her Majefty, and Mr. Van 
Dam was not difturbed. 

In January, 1736, the firft fruits of Mr. Van 
Dam's charges againft the Governor were feen, in an 
order of the Privy Council which forbade the latter 
from occupying a feat in the Legiflative Council of 
the Province^ — an abufe of his power which had 
formed the fifth and fixth Articles of the charges 
which had been prefented to the Home Government 
againfl: the Governor.* This order, fo important in 
its bearings on the party organizations in New York, 
and fo encouraging to the popular party in its 
ftruggle againft the meafures of the Provincial Gov- 
ernment, by a fingular fatality was not produdive 
of the benefits which had been anticipated from it. 
Governor Cosby did not live to receive the Order; 
and when it reached New York, other and more 
exciting fubjed:s were occupying the attention of the 
Colonifts. 

Governor Cosby departed this life on the tenth 



^ Governor Cosby to the Lords of Trade, June 19, 1734, and June 
10, 1735. 

' Lords of Trade to Queen Caroline, Auguft 28, 1735. 

* Secretary Popple to Governor Cosby, January 23, 1736. 

* Heads of Articles of Complaint to be exhibited, &c., December 17, 
1733. Articles 5 and 6. 



48 'T'he Early Political 

of March, 1736;^ when Mr. Van Dam, as Senior 
Councillor, prepared to afTume the authority, as he 
had done on the death of Governor Montgomerie. 
His call for the Commiffion, the Provincial Seal, 
&c., was met by the remarkable information that, in 
December, 1735, Governor Cosby had fufpended 
him from office — as Chief-Juftice Atwood and his 
afTociates had been fufpended by Lord Cornbury, to 
make room in the fame body for him and his afTo- 
ciates, more than thirty years before" — and that, in 
confequence of that fufpeniion, private as it was, and 
unnotified as were the venerable Councillor and his 
friends, he poffeffed no legal right to the Govern- 
ment ; and that the authority belonged legally to 
George Clarke.^ 

Of the political and perfonal intrigue by means 
of which the popular leader was thus prevented from 
exercifing, a fecond time, the fupreme executive au- 
thority in the Colony, I cannot now fpeak ; nor will 
the time allow me to do more than allude to the 
important part which Mrs. Cosby — who was a bold 
and intelligent politician in her day — is faid to have 
aded in this very interefting drama.^ 

That " circumftances alter cafes " is a maxim 
^yhich is recognized in every walk of life and by all 
claffes, needs no evidence ; and as Mr. Van Dam 
?.nd his party were human, and poffefled the weaknefs 

' Prefident Clarke to the Lords of Trade, March i6, 1736. 
^ Lord Cornbury to the Lords of Trade, June 16, 1702. 
^ Prefident Clarke to the Lords of Trade, March 16, 1736. The 
fame to Horace Walpole, on the fame day. 

■• Morris to Wager. May 10, Oct. 12, 1739. N. J. Hift. Coll. iv. 44, 67. 



Hijlory of New York. 49 

which is an incident to humanity, it need not be 
wondered at that he and his affociates refifled the 
meafures which were adopted by Mr. Clarke and 
his friends. When Chief-Juftice Atwood and his 
friends were fiifpended from authority, in May, 
1702, Mr. Van Dam and his party did not appear 
to confider that aft as an ufurpation of authority ; 
and, without waiting for the confirmation of that 
fufpenfion by the Queen in Council, he and they 
took their feats at the Board ;^ yet, when the fame 
treatment was fubfequently ferved out to them, he 
and they refifted and denounced it as an ufurpa- 
tion. 

Refufing to recognize as legal the fufpenfion of 
himfelf from office, Mr. Van Dam protefted againfl: 
the afl\imption of authority by George Clarke ; 
and he ferved copies of this Protefl: on the members 
of the AfTembly. The latter had afl'embled for the 
difcharge of their official duties, when Mr. Morris 
read an " Addrefs to the Members ; " and then, in 
company with the members of his own party — all of 
whom were alfo Mr. Van Dam's political friends — 
he retired from the Chamber. As the oppofition 
was in the majority, thofe who remained numbered 
lefs than a quorum ; and they were adjourned by the 



■ The Governor removed the Chief-Juftice and his friends from their 
offices as Councillors in May, 1702, and their fucceffors — Meffrs. Van 
Dam and others — took their feats in the Board on the twentieth of Oftober 
following — the firlt meeting of that body after their appointment to it 5 
while it was not until the twenty-firfl of January, 1703, that the Queen in 
Council confirmed either the removal of the one party or the appomtment 
of the other. 



£0 T^he Early Political 

Ading Governor without having been called to order 
by the Speaker/ 

In September following, when the Afiembly was 
again convened by the Adting Governor, the fame 
queftion arofe before the Houfe was organized; and 
again the Government was compelled to prorogue the 
Houfe, much to the difcredit of the Governor, before 
the members were called to order by the Speaker.^ 

During the fame month (September, 1736) the 
diflenfion appeared to threaten the moft ferious con- 
fequences, becaufe each of the two rival Govern- 
ments — Clarke's and Van Dam's — proceeded, in 
due form, to appoint, as was the duty of the Gov- 
ernor of the Province, the officers of the Corporation 
of the City of New York for the enfuing year — 
Clarke reappointing thofe of the former year ; Van 
Dam preferring fome of the members of his own 
party. 

As fome time elapfed between the date of the 
appointment to office and that of the official inau- 
guration of the appointees, during that period at 
leaft, a new element of difcord was introduced, and 
additional incentives to violence were employed.^ 

While this twofold ftrife was fiercely raging, on 
the twelfth of Odober, 1736, the members of the 



" Prefident Clarke to the Lords of Trade, May 3, 1736; The fame to 
the Duke of Newcaftle, fame date; Adolphe Philipse (Speaker of the 
Houfe) to Prefident Clarke, April 29, 1736. 

^ Prefident Clarke to the Duke of Newcaftle, September 18, 1736; 
The fame to the Lords of Trade, September 20, 1736. 

^ Prefident Clarke to the Lords of Trade, October 7 and 18, 1736 ; 
Minutes of Appointments, dated September 29, 1736, figned "Rip Van 
Dam." 



Hijlory of New York. 51 

AfTembly again met for the difcharge of their offi- 
cial duties ; but before an organization could be 
effected, they refumed the informal difcuffion of Mr. 
Van Dam's fufpenfion and the legitimacy of Adling 
Governor Clarke's adminiftration. This difcuffion 
was continued with great bitternefs of feeling until 
the afternoon ; when, without any organization, the 
Affembly was prorogued until the following day/ 

Thus toffied between the two — the Affiembly and 
the Corporation of the city — and inflamed by both, 
as each became at the moment moft confpicuous, the 
Coloniflis were excited as few other communities have 
ever been." Fortunately for both parties ; fortu- 
nately for the city and the Province ; fortunately, it 
may be, for the caufe of republican principles, at an 
early hour on the thirteenth of Odlober an additional 
Infl:rud;ion from the Queen concerning the form of 
Prayer to be ufed for the Royal Family was received 
by Clarke — a circumfl:ance which appears to have 
been received by all parties as incontrovertible evi- 
dence that the adminifliration of Mr. Clarke had 
been recognized by the Home Government ; and 
univerfal quiet was immediately reftored.^ 

On the twenty-ninth of 06lober, ftill further 
evidence of the decifion by the Minifliry was received 
by Clarke ; and thenceforth the peace of the Colony 
on the prevailing quefliions was fully reftored.^ 



* Prefident Clarke to the Duke of Newcaftle, Oftober 14, 1736. 
^ Prefident Clarke to the Lords of Trade, Oftober 18, 1736. 

=■ Prefident Clarke to the Duke of Newcallle, Oftober 14, 1736 ; The 
fame to the Lords of Trade, 06lober 18, 1736. 

* Lieut.-Gov. Clarke to the Duke of Newcaftle, November 23, 1736. 



52 l^he Early Political 

The extreme old age of Mr. Van Dam, it ap- 
pears, thenceforth prevented him from participating 
perfonally in the political affairs of the Colony ; 
although his influence was doubtlefs felt in all the 
meafures of the Oppofition, until the day of his 
death, which occurred on the tenth of June, 1749.^ 

The reftri6ted character, in point of time, of an 
Addrefs like the prefent, compels me to fketch rapidly 
the more marked features which my fubjed: promi- 
nently prefents. It necefl'arily follows, that many 
pafl: and important incidents were rather glanced at 
than adequately defcribed. The Leiflerian agitation, 
and the brief but eventful adminiftration of the Earl 
of Bellomont, are infl:ances in illufliration of this. 

In regard to the latter, I have deferred the intro- 
dudlion of that which follows in order to avoid 
breaking in upon the regular details conned;ed with 
the career of Prefident Van Dam. I now therefore 
revert to a few incidents connected with the late Earl 
of Bellomont's adminifliration. He landed in New 
York on the fecond day of April, 1696, and died in 
this city on the fifth day of March, 1701. He lived 
to fee the dawn of the century in the lafl: quarter of 
which the Englifh domination, like that of the Dutch 
which it had fupplanted, ceafed to exift. The union 
of the fifter Colonies, by their ov.^n ad: and brave 



' " Saturday la(t departed this Life, in a very advanced Age, and was 
" Yefterday decently interred, the Honorable Rip Van Dam, Efq. ; for- 
" merly one of the Gentlemen of His Majefty's Council for this Province 
" for many Years, and fome time Prefident of that Board." — Ne^v York 
Gazette, revived in the Weekly Pojl-Boy (Parker's), No. 334, [Monday^ 
June 12, 1749. 



Hijiory of New Tork. t^i, 

determination, was to convert them into free and 
independent Peoples. The courfe of events was 
pregnant with confequences prefigured in thefe fug- 
geftive lines of the great dramatift : 

" There is a hiftory in all men's lives, 
Figuring the nature of the time deceaf'd ; 
The which obfervM, a man may prophefy. 
With a near aim, of the main chance of things 
As yet not come to life." 

In little more than half a century the compara- 
tively "weak beginnings," the "feeds Intreafured," 
foftered by the events of the feventeenth century, 
had rapidly fprouted, flourifhed, and a republic then 
came " to life." 

Bellomont was an Irifh Peer, a lineal defcend- 
ant of the Sir Charles Coote, a soldier of fortune 
trained in the wars of Elizabeth, who was distin- 
guished by his ferocity in Ireland in the reign of 
Charles I.^ His ariftocratic antecedents, the dif- 
tindtion which he gained as a member of the Englifh 
Houfe of Commons, and his early efpoufal of the 
interefts of the Prince of Orange, had recommended 
him to the favorable notice of William III., who 
appointed him Governor of New York and MafTa- 
chufetts. 

By Lord Macaulay he is reprefented to have 
been " a man of eminently fair charader, upright, 
"courageous, and independent. Before Bellomont 
"sailed for America, William fpoke ftrongly to him 

' Stryker's American Quarterly Regifter, i., 434. 



<;4 '^he Early Political 

* about the freebooting, which was the difgrace of the 

* Colonies, and added : ' I fend you, my Lord, to 
' ' New York, becaufe an honeft and intrepid man is 

* * wanted to put thefe abufes down, and becaufe I 

* * believe you to be fuch a man.' " ^ 

The courfe the Governor took, the objed:s he 
accomplifhed, the controverfies his adminiftration 
occafioned, and the refults of his meafures, time will 
not now permit me to difcufs. The fubjed: has been 
in a meafure generally treated in your prefence ; and 
it is one which, in all its bearings, requires a more 
critical and thorough examination than it has yet 
received. 

In the official Difpatch in which the Earl intro- 
duced the names of Van Dam, Van Courtland, 
and Van Kipp, and chara6lerized them as " meer 
"Dutch" who " fcarce fpeak Englifh," his Lordfhip 
prefents us with an example in himfelf of difregard 
of the advice which in the very next fentence he thus 
communicated to the Lords of Trade : "I difcour- 
" age all I can thefe diftindions of Dutch and Eng- 
" lifh which is fet on foot by the fadious people of 
"this town." The admiflion is here unceremonioufly 
made, either that he was an example of this alleged 
prejudice, or one of these " fadious people." 

But the contrariety between this advice and this 
difregard of its precepts is probably attributable to 
the ariftocratic tendencies which placed the Governor 
unavoidably in fituations at variance with popular 
impulfes, the tendency of which was becoming more 

' Macaulay's Hiftoiy of England, v., 204. 



Hijlory of New York. 55 

and more obfervable, as the current of popular 
hopes and anticipations flowed on with greater vol- 
ume and rapidity. Thefe hopes were quickened when 
the loud huzzas announced the triumph of John 
Peter Zenger ; and thefe anticipations looked to 
greater political fuccefles, when the love of freedom 
thereafter animated the " Sons of Liberty." 

It is not within the compafs of this Addrefs to 
analyze the views or criticize the meafures entertained 
by Bellomont in order to fupport the alleged influ- 
ence upon him or his order of a political or inherit- 
able bias — the one ordinarily aflbciated with the 
other. Opinions but repeat themfelves, under fimi- 
lar circumfl:ances and with fimilar affinities. Popular 
developments deemed politically fubverfive of ariflio- 
cratic influences, have engendered, at all times, fecret 
or avowed oppofition to the popular will, or, as in 
this country, to the fovereignty of the People. The 
exifting traitorous attempt upon the national life of 
the American Republic is an exemplification of thefe 
caufes and effedis, brought before our own eyes and 
apparent to every true lover and well-afFe6led citizen 
of our country. 

This prejudice of his Lordfhip feems largely to 
be participated in by a nobility in our day, confe- 
quent upon the prefumed fuccefs of our Republican 
infliitutions, which had their rife in the times of which 
I am now fpeaking ; who, judging from exifliing 
circumfliances, confider the difmemberment of the 
United States the fecurity of England, and the over- 
throw of our Infliitutions the prefervation of their 
own. 



^6 The Early Political 

Before leaving this interefting era of our early- 
Colonial hiftory, I will briefly call your attention to 
a fingle incident ftated at the clofe of the above- 
mentioned Difpatch. It refers to an attempt on the 
part of the Earl of Bellomont to procure the pafl'age 
by the Afl'embly of "A Bill to enforce the building 
"of Publick Workhoufes, to employ the poor, and 
" alfo vagabonds." This, it appears, was offered to 
that Body, purfuant to an " inftru(5lion from His 
" Majefty ; " but his Lordfliip declares that the 
Aflembly Jmiled at ity " becaufe indeed there is no 
" fuch thing as a beggar in this town or country." 
He further corroborates this by exprefling his own 
belief that " there is not a richer populace any- 
" where in the King's Dominions than is in this 
" town." 

This interefting fad: has reference to the fpring of 
1699. There is no record of the population of the 
city in that year of which I am aware. In 1696 it 
amounted to four thoufand three hundred and two ; ^ 
and it is interefting to ftate, in contraft with this fadl, 
that at the clofe of 1864 it is eftimated to have ex- 
ceeded a million."^ During this century and a half 
the increafe of pauperism kept pace with that of the 
population ; and the number of paupers fupported 
by the city authorities, at the clofe of the year 1864, 
is ftated to amount, in the aggregate, to fifty-fix 
thoufand two hundred and twenty-five,^ who were 

' Valentine's Manual for 1862, p. 405. 

" Official communication to me from the City Infpeftor's Department. 
' Official rtatement obligingly furnifhed me by the Commiffioners of 
Public Charities and Corre6lion. 



Hijiory of New York. 57 

maintained at the expenditure, derived from city 
taxes, of fix hundred and fixty thoufand dollars/ 

It will be borne in mind that this large expendi- 
ture is applied exclufively to the deftitute poor, fick, 
and "vagabond" clafles, provided for by the City 
" Department of Charities and Corredion." Befides 
all thefe, great numbers of both fexes and of every 
age, who are of the " poor among us," receive fhelter, 
food, and raiment, oftentimes with religious teaching 
and educational training, in inftitutions founded by 
charitable donors, or fupported from year to year by 
voluntary contributors, with occafional aid liberally 
beftowed by municipal and legiflative bodies. 

Thefe are the growth of Chriftianity ! The 

ZENIA of the Greeks and the Hospitium of the 

Romans were of a diftindt charader. Thefe were 

defigned by private benevolence with " hofpitable 

"intent" for individual wayfarers and guefts. Man, 

among thefe ancient nations, was politically confidered 

as the offspring of the State ; and in his civil and 

military relation to it, bound to minifter to its fup- 

port. The " Poorhoufes," the " Workhoufes," the 

"Afylums," and the " Hofpitals" of modern times 

have their foundation refting upon the fympathy and 

liberality of "him that hath " toward "him who 

" hath not." The bleffmgs difpenfed in thefe Ihelters 

for the needy, the fick, the wretched, and the outcaft, 

have their origin in that pure and undefiled Religion, 

which rifes far above all political affociations, and 

inculcates thofe two cardinal principles which Chrif- 



♦ Comptroller's Office, City of New York. 



58 The Early Political 

tianity primarily proclaimed, " Love to God and to 
"one's neighbor;" imperifhable in their injundions 
as the duties which they inculcate. 

From this interruption of the prominent events 
to which your attention was chiefly invited — from a 
brief record fuggeftive of the political, commercial, 
and focial relations indicative of the metropolitan 
reputation of New York, as well as of the cofmo- 
politan character of this great mart of America — I 
turn to refume the main thread of this Addrefs. 

During the forty years which intervened between 
the eftablifhment of Prefident Clarke's claim to the 
Government of the Province and the formal Declara- 
tion of American Independence, the conteft of par- 
ties, led, refpedively, by the De Lanceys and De 
Peysters on the one hand, and the Livingstons 
and Morrises on the other, rendered the Political 
Hifliory of Revolutionary New York not lefs inter- 
efting than the period which had preceded it; and 
not lefs important to the ftudent of Political Phi- 
losophy. 

With perfe(5l Freedom of the Prefs ; with a Judi- 
ciary holding its office only "during good behavior;" 
with a fearlefs body of men, each of whom was an 
intellectual Giant, vigilantly guarding the political 
rights which fhe then pofTeiTed, and boldly feizing 
every paffing opportunity to increafe the lifl:, New 
York may with the greatefl: juftice refer to that as 
the golden era of her Political Hiftory. 

It was during this period that the much-dreaded 
"Sons of Liberty" fprang into being in this city, 
and not only "organized the Province" for a ivi- 



Hijlory of New York, ^g 

tematic oppofition to the Government, but, by open- 
ing and carrying on a correfpondence on the great 
political queftions of the day with fimilar bodies in 
diftant places, they alfo " promoted a Confederacy." ^ 
It was in the earlier years of this period, alfo, 
while Mr. Van Dam was yet alive, that the propo- 
fltion of his rival, Lieutenant-Governor Clarke, to 
" eftablifh, by adl of Parliament, duties upon ftamp- 
" papers and parchments in all the Britifh and Ame- 
" rican Colonys," was condemned by the Royal 
Governor of New York as " dangerous in its con- 
" fequences to His Majefty's intereft," as it was 
fubfequently proved to be in the fame Colony when 
the experiment was tried.'^ It was during this era 
that the Affembly of the Province fteadily refilled 
and as fteadily repelled every attempt by the Colonial 
Council to interfere with the provifions of money- 
bills, whether they referred to the raifing of a reve- 
nue or to the expenditure of it.^ During the greater 
part of this eventful period, the Affembly of the 
Province was reprefented at the Capitol of the nation 
by an "Agent" of its own choice, over whom nei- 
ther the Council nor the Governor, nor even the 
King himfelf, poffeffed the leaft authority;* and it is 



' Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 40, 41. 

^ Governor Clinton to the Duke of Newcaftle, December 13, 1744; 
Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 41, 42. 

^ Sons of Liberty, 46-48, and the authorities there quoted. 

* The praftice of appointing Colonial ^^ Agents" was by no means con- 
fined to the period referred to : the independence of thofe Agents ivas pecu- 
liarly the feature of the age in quejlion. In his Sons of Liberty (pp. 43, 
44), Mr. Dawson has brought together the authorities on this fubjed, 
and to that pamphlet the reader is referred. 



6o T^he Early Political 

probable that it was while Edmund Burke was adling 
as its Agent, that he became To intimately acquainted, 
from the Memorials and the official correfpondence 
of the AfTembly, with the grievances of the Colo- 
nies ; with the nature of their demands for a redrefs 
of thofe grievances ; and with the natural and politi- 
cal rights of man, all of which form the bafis of 
every political fyftem. Reiiflance was alfo made 
fuccefsfully, during this period, to the fyftem of im- 
preftment for the Navy ; ^ and, with equal tenacity, 
the right of appeal to the King from the Provincial 
Courts was infifted on.^ The energetic oppofition to 
the propofed Stamp Act which was offered by New 
York, is too well known to need repetition;^ and the 
refiftance which was offered to its execution in this city 
after its enactment, is one of the moft notable and im- 
portant events in its confequences in the hiftory of 
our country.'* It was alfo during this remarkable era 
in the Early Political Hiftory of New York, that 
this Colony not- only "organized a Province," but it 
alfo " promoted a Confederacy " by the organization 
of the firft of thofe powerful inftruments of revolution 
known as "Committees of Correspondence" — the 
honor of which has recently been reftored to New 
York by a member of this Society (diftinguiflied 



' Prefident CoLDEN to the Lords of Trade, Auguft 30, 1760; Holt's 
New York. Gazette and Weekly Poft-Boy, July 12, 1764. 

" Lieutenant-Governor CoLDEN to the Lords of Trade, November 7, 
1764; The fame to Sir William Johnson, December 10, 1764. 

^ DuNLAP's New York, i., 412-4195 Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 57-89, 
and the authorities cited in that work. 

* DuNLAP's New York, 419-423 ; Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 89-105. 



Hifiory of New Tork. 6i 

for the thoroughnefs of his refearches among its 
archives, the accuracy of his hiftorical fafts, and fidel- 
ity in their narration in connexion with this invef- 
tigation) — notwithftanding both MafTachufetts and 
Virginia, each fuftained by her moft able writers, as 
well as by her moft honored ftatefmen, had claimed 
it each for herfelf/ The protraded ftruggles of the 
popular party in this city in defence of the five flag- 
ftaffs, or " liberty-poles," which were fucceffively cut 
down by the foldiery ; ' the long-continued and un- 
compromifing conteft between the radical " Sons of 
"Liberty" and the treacherous Committee of One 
Hundred, and the Aftembly of the Province and the 
Government;^ the refolute oppofition to the tea-tax, 
and the deftrudion of the tea, in open day, which 
was on the ''London ;'' "^ and the bloody ftruggle be- 
tween the inhabitants and the foldiery on Golden 
Hill, in this city, January i8, 1770 — the very firft 
fight between the Colonifts in America and their 
military oppreffors^' — all occurred during this revo- 



' Dawson's So7is of Liberty in Ne-xv Tork, 60-64. 

^ DuNLAP's New York, i., 433-4355 Leake's Life of General John 
Lamb, 63-87; Bancroft's Hiftory of the United States; Dawson's 
Park and its Vicinity, in Valentine's Maftual for 1855, 444-451. 

* Leake's Life of General Lamb, 65-187; Bancroft's United States, 
vi., 365 ; Dawson's Park and its Vicinity (Valentine's Manual for 
1855, 455-461), and the authorities referred to therein. 

* I fake's Life of General Lamb, 75-84; Holt's New York Journal, 
April 21 and 28, 1774; Gaines's New York Gazette and Mercury, April 
25, 1774; Hamilton's Life of Hamilton, i., 20; Gordon's American 
Revolution, i., 332-334; Dawson's Park and Its Vicinity (Valentine's 
Manual for 1855, 456-459). 

^ Holt's New York Journal ; Leake's Life of General Lamb, 55-58 ; 
DuNLAP's New York, i., 437; Gordon's American Revolution, i., 300; 
6 



62 ^he Early Political 

lutionary era of the Early Political Hiftory of New 
York. 

The different "Agreements" of non-importation, 
&c., into which the tradefmen of this city entered ; ^ 
the popular ftruggle with the Government and its 
Confervative allies refpe6ting the eledtion of Dele- 
gates to the Continental Congrefs of 1774,^ and the 
defeat of the latter and their fubfequent change of 
policy in order to fecure the control of the delega- 
tion ; the infidelity to the popular caufe by the popu- 
lar Committee of Fifty-one, and the condemnation 
of that Committee by " The Great Meeting in the 
"Fields "^ — at which, it is faid, Alexander Hamil- 
ton made his debut into political life;* the feizure of 
the Government ftores at Turtle Bay by the popu- 
lace ; ^ the feizure of the arfenal in the old City 



Bancroft's Hiftory of the American Revolution, vi., 332; Davis's 
Sketch of the Old Bridewell (Valentine's Manual iov 1855,489-491); 
Dawson's Sons of Liberty, 11 2-1 17. 

' The firft Agreement of the kind referred to, was that entered into on 
the thirty-firlt of Oftober, 1765, in which "the Merchants of the city of 
" New York, trading to Great Britain," refolved that they would import 
no more goods from the Mother Country until the Stamp A6t fliould be 
repealed. (Holt's Ne-iv York Gazette and Pojl-Boy, November 7, 1765; 
Leake's Life of General Lamb, 14; Graham's United States, iv., 224.) 
Other agreements of a fimilar charafter were entered into from time to 
time, and all were rigidly enforced by the Sons of Liberty. 

■ Minutes of the Committee of Fifty-one; Correfpondence of that 
Committee and the Committee at Marriner's ; Leake's Life of General 
Lamb, 94. 

^ Leake's Life of General Lamb, 88-94; Proceedings of Meeting in 
the Fields; Dunlap's New York, i., 453 ; Dawson's Park and its Vicin- 
ity, 462-465. 

* Hamilton's Life of Hamilton, i. ; Bancroft's United States; 
Dawson's Park and its Vicinity (Valentine's Manual, 464, 465). 

' Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolution (Second edition), ii., 589; 



Hiftory of New Tork. 63 

Hall;^ the eftablifhment of a provifional local Gov- 
ernment in this city;^ the feizure of the arms while 
en route, under efcort, for Bofton, while they were 
paffing through Broad and Beaver Streets, in this 
city;^ all theie fubjeds, and many others which are 
equally important, crowd the pages of the Early 
Political Hiftory of New York during its revolu- 
tionary era, and befpeak the importance of the truft 
which has been confided to this body by the Govern- 
ment of the State ; by our predecefTors in member- 
fhip ; and by thofe, throughout the city and State, 
by whom they and we have been cheered on in the 
difcharge of this truft. 

I might occupy your attention much longer with 
this branch of my fubjed; but I will difmifs it with 
an interefting allufion to a fingle incident, which, fo 
far as I have obferved, has not been noticed by any 
who have preceded me. 

It will be remembered that among the Agents 
which reprefented the Aftembly of New York, at 
London, was Edmund Burke, the able and eloquent 
member of Parliament for Wendover and Briftol ; 
and there is little doubt that in that capacity he was 



Dawson's Park and its Vicinity (Valentine's Manual for 1855, 470, 
471) 5 Leake's Life of General Lamb, 105. 

» Leake's Life of General Lamb, ioi, 102; Gordon's American 
Revolution, ii., 3-16 5 Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolution, ii., 
5885 Dawson's Park and its Vicinity (Valentine's Manual for 1855, 

471)- 

" Leake's Life of General Lamb, 102; Dawson's Park and its 

Vicinity (Valentine's Manual for 1855, 471)- 

« Willett's Narrative, 26-32 5 New York during the American 

Revolution, Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolution, ii., 588. 



64 '^he Early Political 

made acquainted with the various memorials and 
other papers which that Aflembly had tranfmitted 
from time to time to the Parliament and to the 
Miniftry, in its efforts to proted the focial and 
political rights and interefts of the Colonifts. Let 
any one read thofe Memorials, efpecially that con- 
cerning the Stamp Ad, and compare the fentiments 
which they contain with thofe fervid denunciations 
by Mr. Burke of the policy of the Miniftry, and he 
muft be fatisfied that if thofe Memorials had not 
originated the argument of the illuftrious orator, they 
at leaft Jlrengthened and confirmed it. 

Struggling for their rights as men and as Englifh- 
men, the Affembly reprefented, on one occafion,^ 
that " an exemption from the burden of ungranted, 
" involuntary taxes muft be the grand principle of 
" every free State. Without fuch a right vefted in 
" themfelves, exclufive of all others, there can be no 
" liberty, no happinefs, no fecurity : it is infeparable 
" from the very idea of property ; for who can call 
" that his own which may be taken av/ay at the plea- 
" fure of another ? And fo evidently does this 
"appear to be the natural right of mankind, that 
"even conquered tributary States, though fubjed to 
" the payment of a fixed periodical Tribute, never 
"were reduced to fo abjed and forlorn a condition as 
" to yield to all the burdens which their conquerors 
" might at any future time think fit to impofe. The 
"tribute paid, the debt was difcharged ; and the 



' Memorial of the Affembly of New York to the Houfe of Commons, 
adopted by the Houfe, Oaober 18, i-j6i^.— {Journals of that date.) 



Hiftory of New York. 6 



" remainder they could call their own. And if con- 
" quered vaflals, upon the principle even of natural 
" Juftice, may claim a freedom from affeflrnents, 
" unbounded and unalTented to, without which they 
"would fuftain the lofs of everything, and life itfelf 
" become intolerable, with how much propriety and 
" boldnefs may we proceed to inform the Commons 
" of Great Britain, who, to their diftinguifhed honor, 
" have in all ages aflerted the liberties of mankind, 
" that the people of this Colony, infpired by the 
"genius of their mother country, nobly difdain the 
" thought of claiming that exemption as a privilege. 
^* They found it on a bafis more honorable, folid, 
" and ftable ; they challenge it, and glory in it as 
'■'■their right. That right their anceftors enjoyed in 
"Great Britain and Ireland; their defcendants, re- 
" turning to thofe kingdoms, enjoy it again: and 
"that it may be exercifed by His Majefty's fubjedls 
"at home, and be juftly denied to thofe who fub-, 
" mitted to poverty, barbarian wars, lofs of blood, 
" lofs of money, perfonal fatigues, and ten thoufand 
" unutterable hardships, to enlarge the trade, wealth, 
"and dominion of the nation; or to fpeak with the 
" moft unexceptional modefty, that when as fubjedis 
" all have equal merit, a fatal, nay, the moft odious 
" difcrimination ftiould nevertheless be made between 
" them ; no fophiftry can recommend to the fober, 
"impartial decifion of common fenfe." 

Thus boldly fpake the Affembly of New York to 
the Houfe of Commons ; and the Agent of that 
Affembly in the fame body, thus enforced, at a fubfe- 
quent date, the arguments which his principals had 



66 l^he Early Political 

previoufly laid down, in the " Memorial " from 
which I have read. "In the charadler of the Ameri- 
cans," faid Mr. Burke,^ " a love of freedom is the 
predominating feature which marks and diftin- 
guifhes the whole ; and as an ardent is always a 
jealous affeftion, your Colonies become fufpicious, 
reftive, and untra6table, whenever they fee the leall 
attempt to wreft from them by force, or to fhuffle 
from them by chicane, what they think the only 
advantage worth living for. This fierce fpirit of 
liberty is flronger in the Englifh Colonies, proba- 
bly, than in any other people of the earth ; and 
this from a great variety of powerful caufes, which, 
to underftand the true temper of their mind and 
the direction which this fpirit takes, it will not be 
amifs to lay open fomewhat more largely. 

" Firft. The people of the Colonies are defcend- 
ants of Englijfhmen. England, Sir, is a nation 
which ftill, I hope, refped:s, and formerly adored 
her freedom. The Coionifts emigrated from you 
when this part of your character was moft predomi- 
nant ; and they took this bias and direction the 
moment they parted from your hands. They are 
therefore not only devoted to liberty, but to liberty 
according to Engli/li ideas and on RngUJJi principles. 
Abftrad; liberty, like other mere abftrad;ions, is not 
to be found. Liberty inheres in fome fenfible 
objedt ; and every nation has formed to itfelf fome 
favorite point, which by way of eminence becomes 
the criterion of their happinefs. It happened, you 

* Speech on Conciliation with America. 



Hifiory of New York. 67 

*' know, Sir, that the great contefts for freedom in 
" this country were from the earlieft times chiefly 
*' upon the quefliion of taxing. Moft of the conteflis 
" in the ancient commonwealths turned primarily on 
" the right of election of magifl:rates ; or on the 
" balance among the feveral orders of the State. 
" The quefl:ion of money was not with them fo 
" immediate. But in England it was otherwife. On 
" this point of taxes the ablefl: pens and mofl: elo- 
*' quent tongues have been exercifed ; the greatefl: 
" fpirits have a6led and fuffered. In order to give 
'' the fullefl: fatisfa6tion concerning the importance of 
" this point, it was not only necefl"ary for thofe who 
*' in argument defended the excellence of the Englifh 
" Conftitution, to infift on this privilege of granting 
" money as a dry point of fad:, and to prove that the 
" right had been acknowledged in ancient parchments 
"and blind ufages to refide in a certain body, called 
"a Houfe of Commons. They went much further. 
" They attempted to prove — and they fucceeded — 
"that in theory // ought to be Jo^ from the particular 
"nature of a Houfe of Commons, as an immediate 
" reprefentative of the people ; whether the old 
" records had delivered this oracle or not. They 
" took infinite pains to inculcate, as a fundamental 
" principle, that in all monarchies the people muft in 
" effe^ themfeheSj mediately or immediately, pofTefs 
" the power of granting their own money ^ or no Jhadow 
^^ of liberty could fubfift. The Colonies draw from you^ 
" as with their life-blood, theje ideas and principles. 
" Their love of liberty, as with you, is fixed and 
" attached on this fpecific point of taxing. Liberty 



68 T^he Early Political 

" might be fafe or might be endangered in twenty 
" other particulars, without their being much pleafed 
"or alarmed. Here they felt its pulfe ; and as they 
" found that beat, they thought themfelves fick or 
" found. I do not fay whether they were right or 
"wrong in applying your general arguments to their 
"own cafe. It is not eafy, indeed, to make a mo- 
" nopoly of theorems and corollaries. The fad; is, 
" that they did thus apply thofe general arguments ; 
"and your mode of governing them, whether through 
" lenity or indolence, through wifdom or miftake, 
"confirmed them in the imagination that they, as 
"well as you, had an intereft in thefe common prin- 
ciples. 

I need not refer to other portions of Mr. Burke's 
fpeeches in the Houfe of Commons, to illullrate the 
ufe which he made of the arguments which were 
urged by the body of which he was the legally- 
appointed and falaried Agent. That which I have 
cited is entirely bafed on the arguments which 1 firft 
read to you ; and every prominent point of the 
argument of that Memorial, even where he does not 
wholly concur with the AfTembly, is noticed by their 
Agent in the fpeech from which I have laft quoted. 

With thefe fa6ls before us, the intereft and impor- 
tance which attach to the Early Political Hiftory of 
this State, and the confequent refponfibility which 
refts on the Society to whofe foftering guardianfhip 
it has been efpecially intrufted, need no further illuf- 
tration. 

All that is confidered honorable in the hiftory of 
this community ; all in that hiftory from which we 



Hijlory of New I'ork. 69 

lliould take warning, either as men or as citizens ; 
all that has diffufed glory around the name and 
efcutcheon of New York, depend for the very evi- 
dence of their exiftence on the fidelity with which 
their duties are difcharged by fuch alTociations as 
this. 

Do the defcendants of the Dutch look back with 
honeft pride on the civil and religious liberty which 
made the New Netherland the home of the op- 
prefied and the refuge of the outcaft — even thofe 
from New England, who had dared in that peculiar 
fandtuary of freedom to pofTefs and to exercife con- 
fciences which had not been caft in the Puritanic 
mould ?^ Do they refer, and teach their children to 
refer, to the fturdy refufal to yield their guaranteed 
rights as men and as fubjed;s ? Do the reprefenta- 
tives of Bradford and of Zenger, of Morris and 
of De Lancey, of Van Dam and of Clarke, of 
CoLDEN and of Scott, of Smith and of Living- 
ston, refer to the noteworthy deeds of their refpec- 
tive anceftors ? Does the zealous but lefs confpicu- 
ous New Yorker, in behalf of his native or adopted 
State, contend with the equally zealous New Eng- 
lander for the honor of priority in refilling the 
aggreffions of the Crown, and deny the peculiar 
honors which have been demanded refpedively for 
King-ftreet and Lexington ? Does he join ifTue with 
Mr. Jefferson and the champions of Virginia, or 
with Mr. Adams and the champions of MafTachu- 
fetts, when they fet up the claims of their refpedive 



* As in the cafes of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. 



70 l^he Early Political 

States to the honor of having originated and fet in 
motion, and enjoyed the benefits of, the labors of 
the firft two of that " great invention " known as 
" Committees of Correfpondence ? " Does he claim 
for New York the honor of priority in refifting the 
right of impreffment for the Navy ? Does he point 
to the flope of Golden Hill, and fay, " On that fpot, 
" five years and four months before the Battle of 
"Lexington — two months before the maflacre in 
*' King-ftreet even — was the jirft blood fhed, in con- 
" Aid: between the Colonifts and the Royal forces ? " 
Whither can they turn for evidence, but to the 
archives of fuch aflbciations as this — to the depofi- 
tories of the records on which rells all that has been 
written, all which can be written, on the Political 
Hiftory of New York ? 

The events which I have thus traced in the 
Early Political Hiftory of New York from their 
commencement in the refolute refiftance of the Dutch 
in this city to the oath which Colonel Nicolls had 
required of them, until their termination in the 
eftablilhment of the Independence of our country, 
arrefted the attention of the moft diftinguifhed ftatef- 
men of the Old World ; and, as I have fhown, they 
elicited the admiration and aroufed the fympathies, 
if they did not control the political aftion, of one 
of the moft diftinguifhed of their number — Edmund 
Burke, the champion in the Britifti Houfe of Com- 
mons of the remonftrant Colonies, and the official 
reprefentative of the Affembly of New York near the 
Britifti Government. 

In his fpeech on ^'■American 'Taxation^* delivered 



Hijlory of New York, 71 

in 1774, with powerful and perfuafive eloquence, he 
advocated the political rights of the Colonies ; and, 
in the courfe of the debate on that queftion, he de- 
clared that nothing in the hiftory of mankind was 
like their progrefs. " For my own part," he con- 
tinued, " I never caft an eye on their flourifhing 
"commerce and their cultivated and commodious 
"life, but they feem to me rather ancient nations, 
" grown to perfection through a long feries of fortu- 
" nate events and a train of succefsful induilry, 
"accumulating wealth in many centuries, than the 
" Colonies of yefterday ; than a fet of miferable out- 
" cafts, a few years ago, not fo much Jent as thrown 
" out on the bleak and barren fhore of a defolate 
"wildernefs, three thoufand miles from all civilized 
" intercourfe." 

In the following year — 1775 — in his mafterly 
fpeech on ^^Conciliation with America^' Mr. Burke 
called the attention of the Houfe of Commons to 
the growth of England's profperity, which " had hap- 
"pened," he faid, "within the fhort period of the 
"life of man — within fixty-eight years;" and again, 
with impaffioned eloquence, he alluded to the greater 
progrefs in all that conftituted the true greatnefs of 
the Britifli Colonies in America. " For inftance," he 
exclaimed, referring to the progreffive greatnefs of 
England, "my Lord Bathurst might remember all 
"the ftages of that progrefs. He was, in 1704, of 
" an age at leaft to be made to comprehend fuch 
"things. He was then old enough, * ada parentum 
" 'jam legere et quas fit poterit cognofcere virtus.' 
" Suppofe, Sir," he continued, " that the angel of 



72 T^he Early Political 

"this aufpicious youth, forefeeing the many virtues 
" which made him one of the moft amiable, as he is 
** one of the moft fortunate men of his age, had 
" opened to him in vifion that when, in the fourth 
" generation, the third prince of the houfe of Brunf- 
" wick had fat twelve years on the throne of that 
" nation which was to be made Great Britain, he 
" fhould fee his fon. Lord Chancellor of England, 
" turn back the current of hereditary dignity to its 
" fountain, and raife him to a higher rank of peerage, 
" whilft he enriched the family with a new one." 
Then, rifing with his fubjed;, with matchlefs elo- 
quence the orator proceeded with his more grateful 
tafk of portraying the greatnefs of Colonial America. 
"If amidft thefe bright and happy fcenes of domeftic 
" honor and profperity," he exclaimed, " that Angel 
" fhould have drawn up the curtain and unfolded the 
" rifing glories of his country ; and whilft he was 
"gazing with admiration on the commercial grandeur 
" of England, the Genius fhould point out to him a 
" little fpeck, fcarce vifible in the mafs of the national 
" intereft — a fmall feminal principle rather than a 
" formed body — and fhould tell him, ' Young man, 
" ' there is America, which at this day ferves for 
" ' little more than to amufe you with ftories of fav- 
" * age men and uncouth manners, yet fhall, before 
" ' you tafte death, fhow itfelf equal to the whole of 
" ' that commerce which now attracts the envy of the 
"'world. Whatever England has been growing to 
" ' by a progrefRve increafe of improvement, brought 
" ' on by varieties of people, by fucceffion of civil- 
" ' izing conquefts and civilizing fettlements in a 



Hijlory of New Tork. 73 

' ' feries of feventeen hundred years, you fhall fee as 
' ' much added to her by America in the courfe of a 
' ' fingle life/ If this ftate of his country had been 
' foretold to him, would it not require all the fan- 

* guine credulity of youth and all the fervid glow of 
' enthufiafm to make him believe it ? Fortunate 

* man, he has lived to fee it ! Fortunate, indeed, if 
' he lives to fee nothing that fhall vary the profpe6l 
' and cloud the fetting of his day ! " 

This remarkable " vifion," in its glorious array 
of brilliant thoughts, vigoroully and eloquently ex- 
prelTed, was a portion of that fpeech in which its 
author enforced the duty of conciliating the Colo- 
nies ; of that fpeech which was faid to have " teemed 
" with important principles, adorned and enforced 
"with the prodigal illustrations of his fancy ;"^ of 
that fpeech concerning which Mr. Fox remarked : 
" Let Gentlemen read this, fpeech by day and medi- 
" tate upon it by night : let them perufe it again and 
" again, ftudy it, imprint it in their hearts — they 
" would then learn that reprejentation was the fove- 
" reign remedy for every evil." "" 

As time rolled on, the dawn of the prefent cen- 
tury witneffed America ftill further advanced in her 
progrefs to greatnefs. Severed, politically, from the 
Mother Country, the repofitory if not the guardian 
of the political and religious rights of man, the 
refuge of the perfecuted and the oppreffed of the Old 



' Summary of the Life of Edmund Burke, xxviii. 

- Quoted by Mr. Peter Burke in his Summary of the Life o/" Edmund 
Burke (p. xxviii.). 



74 '^he Early Political 

World, file had demanded and affumed, " among the 
"powers of the earth, the feparate and equal ftation 
" to which the laws of Nature and of Nature's God 
" entitled her ; " and by her fword and by her induf- 
try fhe had eftablifhed her right to that place, and 
rendered more apparent than ever before, the neceffity 
of that wife precaution which, four years later, made 
the collection and prefervation of the materials for 
her hiflory, in fuch Societies as this, a duty which 
fhould not be neglected. 

Before the firft half of this century had pafTed, 
American enterprife and heroifm had carried the civil 
authority of the United States acrofs the Rocky 
Mountains and eftablifhed it on the very fhores of 
the Pacific Ocean. Thence, the new States which 
were fpeedily formed and became members of the 
Union, looked out, over the vaft expanfe of waters, 
upon the iflands of the f^a, and upon "the Orient" 
— the far-off continent of Afia. From the latter, 
and from the iflands — both obfcured by ignorance and 
fuperflition and focial wickednefs — the appeal has 
reached our fhores, as the cry of the " man of 
"Macedonia" reached the apoftle ; and the urgent 
demand for help — " Come over and help us " — has 
been refponded to from what to them is the Eaflern 
fhore of the New World — from the youthful repub- 
lic ; the miftrefs of the world's weflern boundary ; 
the very limit of the " weftward march of empire." 

And who that confiders the retrograde condition 
of the Afiatic and African continents can be infenfible 
to fuch a call I The progrefTive fpirit of enterprife 
which charaderized our countrymen at the commence- 



Hijiory of New Tork. 75 

ment of our exifling political difficulties, had carried 
the commerce of America into every fea ; and all the 
great marts of the world were crowded with her 
adventurous fons. At the prefent day, notwithftand- 
ing the internal troubles which afflict us, the provi- 
dence of God continues to point out to us our 
profperity, and to indicate, in language which cannot 
be mifunderftood, our miflion among men — a miflion 
which afFefts at once their focial, their political, and 
their fpiritual welfare. From the mighty Weft — the 
infant Hercules of our political world — and from the 
vaft territories bounded by the Rio Grande, the un- 
employed elements of national wealth and national 
power rife up and bear teftimony concerning our duty 
to the benighted and the fettered nations of the earth, 
and our capacity to difcharge it ; while the ceafelefs 
din of the ever-bufy Eaft, and the ebb and flow of 
the tide of commercial greatnefs through which the 
wealth of the world is poured into our lap, alike 
point out our fitnefs for the tafk, our ability to exe- 
cute it, and the criminality of our negledt, ftiould we 
fail to obey. 

Skepticifm may doubt this ! It regards neither 
the leflx)ns of experience nor the "bow of promife" 
in the future. Nor does it duly heed the portentous 
events now tranfpiring, the convulfive throes of a 
great nation, the political upheaving among the mafl"- 
es, the mighty focial difruptions, or the important 
elementary changes, which the exifting civil war pre- 
fents in their gigantic and impreffive fignificance. 

But the Chriftian's faith contemplates thefe mo- 
mentous occurrences in their providential dire6lion, 



76 'The Early Political Hijlory of New Tork. 

as civilizing agencies, produdive of focial reforms 
and eventual bleffings. They are harbingers of the 
day when " the earth fhall be full of the knowledge 
" of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." 

In hope, Faith fees the "Angel of Peace" re-enter 
the once happy homes, around whose hearthftones are 
gathered the mourners lamenting the loved ones who 
have perifhed in the fervice of their country. While 
gently clofing his wings to reft among them, he lifts 
the veil which difclofes the future, and, as they look, 
they catch infpiration from the glories it reveals, and 
rejoice that thefe facrifices were not made in vain. 

There is a hope, however, " an anchor of the 
"foul both f\^re and fteadfaft," which animates the 
Chriftian patriot in his refleftions on the deftiny of 
America. It imparts ftrength to the convidion, that 
whenever our country is purified from the drofs 
intermingled with its otherwife free and popular in- 
ftitutions, by the fiery ordeal through which it is 
pafting, it will aroufe itfelf " as a ftrong man to run 
" a race," and ftart afrefh on its Chriftian career with 
a belief in that deftiny, not lefs firm than was the 
deep and abiding faith of an ancient author, which he 
happily exprefted in thefe few but animating words : 

God proteding thee, though thou wert at fea upon 
a twig, thou ftiouldft be fafe ! 



* Thestius, apud Theophil. ad Autolyc, lib. ii, g 8. Probably 
a Greek proverb — thus : Qeoii SeXoirof, kuv (ttI pLnos TrXeots — fuppoied 
from Pindar. See Plutarch's Moralia, 2, 405, B. 



